Every parent has said to themselves or out loud at some point, “I would die for my children”, which is a nice thought at a quick glance but how about living for them? As a parent, I feel like I focus so much on all the things I am willing to sacrifice for my kids instead of looking at what good things I can do for myself in order to become the best parent possible.
What do birthday celebrations and living for your children have to do with each other? Glad you asked! In this blog post, a birthday celebration is really a symbol for anything you do that is truly just for yourself. Something that fills your cup. As they say, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” The happier you are, the better parent and partner you will be!
My birthday just passed and of course, I had multiple celebrations and still have a few more planned before the month is over – iykyk. My birthday gives me the perfect excuse to plan all the things I love: spa days, time with friends, trips with family, beach, sun, meat and cheese plates, red wine, steak, and have I mentioned meaningful time with friends and family?
Some people don’t like their birthday or celebrating. I will never understand why since you will still age and instead of having fun while doing it, they are just fighting reality. Celebrating your birthday can mean a walk by yourself, reading your favorite book, or coffee with your partner. There is really something for everyone!
Don’t like making a big deal about your birthday? No problem! You can celebrate so many things – any upcoming holiday, other people’s birthdays, events that are coming up (hello Winter Olympics party!), you name it, you can celebrate it.
You may be wondering why do we have to celebrate things. The truth is that you don’t have to but most of us are too busy with our daily grind to take time to plan things that are good for our soul. Between work, school, after school activities, kid birthday parties, dinner, laundry, and anything else that comes our way, it is easy to forget to schedule fun time for yourself. Celebrations give us a reason to do it and can even help guide the activity.
Next time you find yourself not wanting to celebrate your birthday or anything else for that matter, I want you to ask yourself why. Are you being influenced by society telling you you shouldn’t celebrate as an adult? Do you feel guilty because you are doing something for yourself? Are you worried about your health? There is so much you can learn about yourself just by asking that simple question.
People around me love to ask me what I am doing for my birthday. They know for sure I will be doing something fun and usually, there will be more than one event. They say how cool it sounds as if it accidentally happened. This comes up at other times when I share all the meaningful activities I have planned for myself, some with adults only and some with the whole family. And some by myself! I like to remind those people that none of this was accidental and every single thing was planned. I also like to point out that they can do the same. This usually leads to a shocking reaction, followed by excuses.
Guess what? You get to decide how to live your life and you only get one! Not that you need permission to do this but just in case, you have mine! I have always loved celebrating all the things but now that I am a full blown adult with my own children, retirement accounts, and life insurance, it has become even more important that I keep doing it.
A few reminders to wrap things up:
- This post should be for inspiration, not punishment! If this doesn’t resonate with you, let it go.
- There are some seasons in life where celebrating anything is hard. If you are in one of those, be kind to yourself and still try to find small moments of joy when you can.
- Celebrations can literally be anything. A cup of coffee alone in the morning. Snuggling on the couch under a warm blanket with your kids. A walk around the block with your family or your pet. A phone call to a dear friend. It doesn’t have to be a big party…but it can be!
I hope 2026 is full of joy and celebrations, even when things outside of our control are sad or scary. We can help more and function better when we come from a calm and rested place. Tell me in the comments what things you are planning to do this year to fill your cup!
A moment of pure joy at our annual photo shoot (one of my ways to celebrate my family that I never suspected I would do!)