When You Celebrate Those You Love

I love birthdays. Everyones. They hold a permanent seat in my top three recurring yearly events. It's that unmatchable opportunity you get to celebrate someone you care about deeply. It's one of the many chances to tell them just how lucky the world is to have them. How blessed you feel they're part of your life. Although birthdays come every year, they're all unique. What a brilliant idea they are!

My birthday was this month. I always feel so loved and cherished. I had a fantastic day with my family! On this day, I also celebrate my sister. She passed on three years ago. I've made it a tradition to honor her life by doing something she would've loved. We visited a botanical garden this year -the spring blooms were breathtaking! I knew she would've loved it! My husband captured this shot under a cherry tree which sealed a perfect memory. It almost felt like she was right there.

By the time a whole year rolls by, we probably gather a mixed bag of experiences. Hopefully, we mostly hold stories of the good times we've shared with those we love. The places we've been. Our learned lessons. As well as the inevitable days, we could've done things differently. But all of them combined just as valuable because they add growth and texture to the unique journey we all travel on around the sun every year.

What will your new year look like the day after your birthday? What kind of experiences will you choose to have? What did you wish for before you blew out your birthday candles? George Elliot said: "It's never too late to be what you might have been." Even if we cannot change the past, we can still change how we perceive it. Then we can be free to see our life in a more positive light.

Can we even consider it possible to look forward to our dreams and make peace with our past? What if this Easter, we just dared to let go of the hurt and forgive instead. If we focused on what was still possible. Rumi said: "The wound is the place where the light enters you." There's always healing when we can make peace with our younger selves. It's the gift we give ourselves so we can move forwards to what our future holds.

One of the ways that brought peace and allowed my heart to mature was to be grateful for everything going great in my life. Gratitude is the child of attention. When we choose to see the positive and pay attention to the details in our life, in Nature, and in others, we'll be reaping gratitude. Once I started to journal all my blessings, the following years flowed more easily and held more meaning. I was sincerely amazed at how effortlessly I could honor those I love on their birthday and even be grateful for my life.

I hope you get a chance to celebrate your life at whatever stage you're at. Remember to honor the special ones in your life on their birthdays and every chance you get.

All my best,

Maria A. Mansfield, PRS

Author

www.lifeisworthgettingbetter.com