Celebration

Last year I was chastised rather acutely by a friend for not sharing that it was my birthday. Her reasoning was devastating and mind-altering. Years prior to our meeting, she had lost her husband far too young to an aggressive cancer. She said to me, “You never know how many opportunities you will have to celebrate the people around you. Give those who love you the opportunity to show you how much they do.”

I just crossed into another year. 35. To be honest, I struggled with this one. To decisively reach MID-thirties still single was not something I had expected or desired. That said, I recalled my friend’s words from the previous year and decided that I was going to refuse to wallow. So, in opposition to my lamentation, I set up an entire birthday weekend extravaganza for myself.

I invited everyone I knew to come out and while nature conspired against me with some very intense thunderstorms, I still managed to have one of the most spectacular birthday weekends I’ve ever experienced. Learning to accept the love of those around me has been a long time coming, but allowing myself to be celebrated was such a beautiful and humbling experience.

It is true: we don’t know how many opportunities we will have to celebrate and be celebrated by those with whom we share our lives. The only certain thing about life is that it will eventually end. But while we are alive, live like every moment is the most important. Surround yourself with friends, laugh until your sides ache, and cry as hard as the hard times dictate. Life is a beautiful mess and it’s worth celebrating.