This installment of Advent Adventure deals with celebration – always a good idea in my book. Today is my father’s 87th birthday. (We counted up today – it’s his 42d year of playing Santa and his 27th doing the “Pilots for Kids” visit [see yesterday’s post for details.]) Now, I’d argue that any of that is worth celebrating, but taken together – well, that’s nearly breathtaking. My sister put together a lovely family dinner with presents and cake and much fuss over the “birthday boy.”
It all got me to thinking – what would you celebrate today? After all, as Humpty Dumpty reminds us in Through the Looking-Glass, we only get one birthday a year, but there are many, many Unbirthdays. So what would you celebrate today? What accomplishment(s) put you in the “win” column? Have you carved out time to meditate today? Maybe for the past five days? Maybe you put on your running shoes and ran two miles today. Maybe you just managed to put on your shoes today – let me point out that, a week before Christmas, putting matching shoes on the correct feet may well count as an accomplishment! Maybe you drank more water than soda today. Maybe you volunteered at a worthy cause that matters to you today. Maybe you let someone ahead of you in the line at the grocery today. Maybe you smiled and chatted with an overworked, harried cashier today. Maybe you were just a little kinder than you needed to be.
None of that is “too small to count.” In fact, all of that is worth celebrating.
Don’t forget it.
Happy birthday, Dad! And Happy Unbirthday, all the rest of us.
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