Usually around my birthday I celebrate and do something life-changing. That isn’t an exaggeration. My birthday always marks a new year of my life and it surprisingly also lands when kids are starting university on this side of the world.
Here it’s Autumn, my favourite season. For years I was starting uni around my birthday, meeting new people, doing new things. Then I started to go away for my birthday, celebrating with a holiday. This led to making some drastic decisions which somehow landed around my birthday, for example moving to Australia.
That was one hell of a decision and I made the move one week after my birthday. You might ask, what’s the obsession?
Birthday Obsessed?
I am grateful for my life, all of the experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve worked and lived. I have a beautiful and full life, despite any hardships (that’s a given – life isn’t smooth sailing and that’s okay). For me, making it another year is an achievement. Not many people get to see the next year, and on the back of that point, don’t wait until you hit a milestone to celebrate.
Don’t wait until 30, don’t wait until 18. Don’t wait until you buy your first car, your first house, your first plane ticket. Don’t wait until you get the dream job, the best role, the nice office. Don’t wait until someone tells you you’re allowed, don’t wait for the big markers.
If I waited for any of the things I just listed… hands down I wouldn’t have had many celebrations in my life. Celebrate life. The shitty things pass. They always do. Celebrate the big things. I had a very nontraditional book launch in Australia with dozens of friends. I made sure I graduated from uni having one heck of a time at my graduation ball with friends. When my approval came through for my second year working holiday visa so I could live in Australia for another year, I celebrated.
Small Things
The small things matter, don’t undermine yourself. Celebrate the small things. I finished a full first draft of the novel I’ve been working on for years, I took 4-6 weeks OFF writing it and that was me celebrating. Well done to me. I absolutely smashed it. Every day I told myself to be proud. I let that celebration linger, instead of plunging head first into the next thing (something I do often).
During one of my walks, I saw a robin hanging around and then it kept hopping down the fence, following me. That is beautiful and magical and moments like that are special. I didn’t exactly jump on the spot and celebrate in the general sense of the word, but I appreciated this little part of life and felt grateful for the experience.
Birthdays mean you’ve reached another age, you’re getting older while many people stop in time, they don’t have as much time. And I may have grey hairs to contend with and other vanity musings but I truly believe that living another day is something to be celebrated.
I guess we should find something to celebrate every day? The little things will suffice. Like the fact it’s sunny on my birthday and I have a beautiful garden in which to celebrate.
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