Within a few weeks our family celebrated my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, our daughter’s high school graduation and my great-nephew’s baptism. The commonality is that each event will be a reason for a family gathering, food and fun.
Clearly my family doesn’t need a special occasion to enjoy great food, but celebrations were some of the highlights of my childhood. I remember my graduation party, which I shared with my brother Gary. We had it at our house in Schroeder and my mom made all the food. I seem to remember a barbeque theme but mostly I remember the laughter. My grandparents were there along with lots of other relatives and neighbors.
It’s funny but whenever you get a group together the stories start pouring out and you hear snippets of years past. Maybe that’s why I became a writer, so I could recapture some of these great memories.
At the 50th anniversary party I heard the story of my mom’s clothes being stolen during her honeymoon so she had to wear her wedding dress home! You think that would have come up in conversation sometime in my lifetime but I swear this is the first time I ever heard it!
We have a plate in our house that is dark blue and is imprinted with “This is your day – Celebrate.” I love this plate because anytime someone in our family thinks it should be their special day they can ask for it simply by putting the plate at their spot at the dinner table. Usually the occasion is obvious, like a birthday, but sometimes it’s used just because they want to be celebrated.
Why wait for the next birthday, graduation or anniversary? Let’s start celebrating a sunny day, a good ballgame or the first fresh tomato from the garden. Give yourself some time to sit down, relax and share stories with your family. These will be the times they will cherish when they get older.
I met a lady the other day who said she wanted to take her mother dancing to celebrate her 91st birthday. I was thinking nice Lawrence Welk type dancing, but as it turns out she was taking her to see the Chippendale Dancers!
I guess it doesn’t matter how or why we celebrate, just that we do. Whether it be dancing, singing or eating—being together with the ones you love to share the joy of life’s greatest milestones is the most important celebration of all.
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