Celebrate!

Not because mine is rapidly approaching, moreso because I choose to believe EVERY birthday is a reason to celebrate!

Birthdays are not about walking, driving, drinking, or obtaining yet one more wrinkle. Birthdays are joyous celebrations of blessings to the world. Every person on this earth has the option to be a positive influence upon it. By that very fact, every day of birth ought to be celebrated.

Celebrations need not be accompanied by balloons, candy, cake, clowns, yells of "surprise", stacks of gifts, or live bands. Celebrations can be as simple as the mere acknowledgement of whoever was lucky enough to be born that day! The gift lies not in its sparkle, its cost, or its flamboyance. Its splendor lies in a heartfelt hug and thank you for enlightening the lives of other people!

Each month, I try really hard to acknowledge all the birthdays and anniversaries that I can. If I know your address, most assuredly I will send you a card. If I do not know your address, I will undoubtedly send you an email or Facebook message. I will recognize that your birthday enabled me to envelope another blessing into my life. I will thank you for existing and making my life a better one.

The last half of January and February, I always wish I had stock in Hallmark. All six brothers birthdays fall within one month. Hubby and son are also in there, along with many other folks. August is another busy month, with the purchase of around thirty cards for folks I love and care about! But it is not about the inane cost of greeting cards. This is about reaching out, with a tiny tangible, to brighten a day. To let someone know you're thinking about them on a day when they became a tremendous addition to this planet and those around them.

Today, I celebrate whomever might be having a birthday. Join me! Remember that it is not the extravagant measures in which you celebrate . . . but the pure and joyous concession that another life has made yours just a little bit better by the simple act of breathing! Celebrate!