I’m a sucker for a surprise birthday party. The planning, decorating, and seeing it all come together with the express purpose of celebrating the life of someone special. Once the balloons have deflated, the cake crumbs have been cleaned up, and the confetti has been swept away, we’re left with a beautiful memory and sticking point to draw our minds back to in the future. I am a firm believer in celebrating. It doesn’t matter how big or small something is; there’s always a reason to eat cake and drink sparkly juice. There is something so special about marking an event or a date with celebration. It’s where we acknowledge all of the work that it has taken to get us to this point and where we can look forward with wild hope at everything yet to come.
Have you ever stopped to think about how many praiseworthy things have happened in your life? There is no threshold that an event needs to cross to become worthy of celebrating. We don’t have to get the best promotion or win the highest award. There are no caveats about celebrating because you get to decide what’s important in your life. My husband and I celebrate the fourth of every month because that’s the day that we got married on. We also celebrate the anniversary of our first date because that was the first time we saw each other in person. What we choose to celebrate shows others what’s important to us and where our priorities are. The marking of these special moments doesn’t have to be a big party with a long guest list and fancy desserts. It can be something as simple as a handwritten letter or taking a picture together.
The moment that we stop appreciating and celebrating the little moments of our lives is the moment that we stop enjoying living. Suppose all we have to look forward to is achieving some far-off goal at the end of an indeterminately long road of hard work and hardship. In that case, we’ll probably not stay the course for very long. However, if we see each step forward as a milestone and each milestone as a victory, we’ll be singing and dancing all the way. Life is about finding little moments and choosing to celebrate them instead of letting them pass us by. Acknowledging the small victories in life also helps us keep our souls from being crushed by the weight of living. Because this life is hard, and it can be easy to get bogged down with desperation and defeat as we make our way through the trenches.
Celebration isn’t just an excuse to have another party. It helps us mark significant moments in our minds and reminds us of God’s praiseworthy goodness.
5 Simple Ways You Can Celebrate Today
- Use your fancy dishes and cutlery for your supper tonight. Even a weeknight can be a special occasion.
- Get dressed up (or don’t; it’s up to you!) and take a picture with your friends and family.
- Buy a cake from the grocery store (or make one yourself) and have dessert with a sparkly beverage.
- Write out a list of the things you’re thankful for and the people who have helped you.
- Go for a walk or a run and listen to your favourite music. Dance along the way to praise the Lord for the beautiful body He’s given you.
Simply Katherina 