Celebrations

How wonderful to be able to celebrate! How wonderful to have people who care enough about you to feel that you, your accomplishments or milestones are worth celebrating. Congratulations! You have done a lot of right things! It is no small matter coming to these celebratory transitional places in our lives. We must prepare well to arrive at each new beginning. Every day requires doing our best and keeping up loving relationships. Otherwise, who will want to honor us when the time comes? I have been to two celebrations this week for people who are successfully moving from one stage to another along their life journeys. A fortieth birthday - about halfway through life is a big milestone. A retirement party - the celebration of a co-worker who has put his heart and soul into helping others and is very loved. A graduation. A fiftieth wedding anniversary. The birth of a new baby. All reasons to celebrate. We will soon be celebrating the birth of our Savior who lived his life in preparation and service, and then gave his life for us. Gifts and joy will be a part of the worldwide Christmas celebrations, and we are all invited! At the point where I am now with my family, beautiful grandchildren, some blessedly quiet times, friends both gold and silver, I feel that each day is one I can celebrate by myself in my own heart. But I hope I can also manage to live and love well enough so that others can feel that I have lived a life worth celebrating.