What better reason to celebrate?

As I write this, our house is still decorated with the remnants of this weekend’s birthday party for my little girl. Tissue paper balls still hang from the ceiling, foam sheets of vibrant colors lay somewhat stacked on the dining room table, and, of course, the glitter.

Everything is decorated with glitter. The table, the floor, the ceiling fan, the dog…

It was quite the celebration.

(One corner of glitter. Trust me, the fun doesn’t stop here):

And why not? To turn 7 is a reason to celebrate! Remember that childlike enthusiasm waiting for your birthday party, or Christmas morning, or the start of summer vacation? To let it all go, to be free and happy and wildly sprinkling glitter everywhere?!

My children are constant reminders that celebration can happen often…and quite often, doesn’t even need a reason. A random tea party on a Thursday afternoon calls for our good china to be pulled out. The neighbor boy is home – let’s have a sleepover party! Leftover balloons? Time for a celebration…why? Because we have BALLOONS!

Like most other adults, I have trouble justifying certain celebrations. There is work to be done – more serious needs to attend to that my children have the luxury of ignoring for now. With a long sigh, I smile at their celebrations and return to wiping the dried ketchup off of the kitchen counter.

And perhaps these type of celebrations are meant to be more interspersed. We’d get fed up with balloons around the house all of the time, and I swear, if I get one more piece of glitter in my eye, so help me….

But that is the beauty of celebration – just like there is no one reason to celebrate, there is no one way to celebrate. We don’t need balloons or glitter, or fine china plates.

Like gratitude, joy, and happiness –

Celebration is an attitude.

It is a way of being.

Have you ever been at a party and seen that one person who is clinging their drink, scowl on their face, and constantly checking their watch? They may be at the party, but they certainly aren’t in the attitude of celebration.

Have you every seen someone walking down the street with a skip in their step and a smile on their face? It seems that they are almost bursting to reach out and hug you. No party music, no balloons, no glitter, but their soul is celebrating wildly within.

When we celebrate, we feel alive. We celebrate for a reason – in acknowledgement of our gratitude for something… a birth, a cultural tradition, even just for a date changing from one year to the next on the calendar.

There is always something to celebrate. And perhaps in expanding our views to look for reasons, we will find the causes for celebration that we have overlooked…the causes for deep gratitude, for daily joy.

You turned 42 years and 159 days today – you’ll never be this age again. Celebrate!

You just saw a bird flying overhead and just for a moment, felt that uplifted freedom – celebrate!

You woke up this morning in a warm bed – heck, you woke up at all. Celebrate!

YOU TOOK ANOTHER BREATH. Celebrate!

And how shall you celebrate?

What makes you feel alive? What type of party do you want to attend?

Perhaps just a smile – a celebration that you are here, that you can do this.

Perhaps you celebrate by going for a run – letting your body move, stretch, strengthen, invigorate.

Perhaps you celebrate by pausing to watch that bird fly instead of rushing on to your next destination.

Perhaps you sprinkle some glitter.

Take a breath, look around, and acknowledge where you are. This environment, this moment – you are alive to experience it.