What are you celebrating today?
We tend to think of celebrations as big events. Weddings. Fiftieth anniversary parties. The birth of a grandchild.
Nick and Judi on our cover are celebrating one of those milestone events: college graduation. It’s a big deal at any age, but it’s especially impressive doing it later in life with all of the distractions and responsibilities that come with age.
While big celebrations are fun and splashy and certainly joyful, not all celebrations come with an engraved invitation or a party.
The older I get, the more I appreciate the smaller celebrations in life. I try to look for something to celebrate every day. Sure, I’m looking forward to my son’s wedding in September and a nephew’s high school graduation later this month. Yet, it’s the small stuff that keeps me going.
HERE’S WHAT I’M CELEBRATING RIGHT NOW:
• Finding four bird nests in my yard (one unflappable mourning dove, two implacable robins and a sweet wren).
• Improving my eyebrow game. After chemo 4 1/2 years ago, my eyebrows never grew back. It’s taken me a while (and a few hundred dollars in pricey pencils), but I’m finally figuring it out. Some days are better than others (think Groucho Marx). I celebrate the good ones.
• Raising chickens. My neighbor and I ordered 12 chicks that should be arriving by mail (really) around the time this magazine comes out. The coop is under construction. Let me know if you want eggs.
Something else I’ll be celebrating is bike riding season. I have an upright, coaster-style bike with a basket, a bell and a light. I use it to run errands around my small village. From time to time I’ll meet up with my 82-year-old dad, and we’ll ride on the Towpath Trail in Peninsula — definitely a celebration-worthy activity. If you haven’t been on a bike in years, check out our story on page 16.
This season, find something to celebrate. Make a plan. Look around. The big events are easy to find, but some of the most soul-nourishing ones are also the least expected.
