“May you live all the days of your life.” ~Jonathan Swift

Dear Universe,

I love being around kids.

There’s something about the way they enjoy the little things that reminds me to pay attention to everything.  There’s something about the way they live so fully and completely that can be contagious.

They are walking bundles of emotion with smiles one moment and tears the next.  They feel deeply, love genuinely and melt your heart with a smile, glance, giggle or hand squeeze.

In a world where so many of us are hiding our authentic selves, it’s amazing how they are not afraid to show who they are all the time.

Best of all, they celebrate everything.

Sunny days?  Cause for a park-swing-real-high-kinda day.  Rainy days?  Cause for an indoor-dance-party-and-craft day.

It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are because their spirit of adventure is always there.

Loosing teeth, finding small, forgotten treasures, discovering new skills?  Check, check, check: all worthy of a celebration.

A few weeks ago I watched my niece and nephews plan a pajama party—after the entire family had just gotten home from a real party.

While the adults were exhausted, these adorable munchkins wanted to keep celebrating.

They didn’t seem to understand—or care—that we already had gone to the party.  The party was over for us, but a new one was just beginning for them.

Why couldn’t we have two parties in one day?

None of us had an answer, so we rolled with it, playing along with our three party planners.

Balloons were present.  Special “tickets”—slips of papers with scribbles on them—for entrance to their party were made.  Games were set-up, and yes, pajamas were put on.

As I watched all of us adults interacting with these angels, I realized something.

We were no longer playing along.  We were genuinely in the moment, engaged, and swept up in the spirit of things.

We were in party mode: smiling, laughing, enjoying.

I was really inspired by the whole thing: the way the children made a celebration from nothing, the way we all came together, the way we forgot our exhaustion and got taken away by the moment, the way we were having so much fun.

I remember being like that as a kid.

I remember impromptu dance parties, making art just for fun, writing stories just because, laughing so hard with my friends over the silliest of things, finding joy in the ordinary moments, just feeling free to be silly, serious… to be me.

Of course these things still happen today, but not as frequently.  Days are made up with to-dos, worries, responsibilities, and work.  And there’s nothing wrong with this because in the midst of it all, days are always filled with meaning and beautiful memories are still being made.

But celebrating?  Living with a spirit of adventure?

Well sure.  When there’s a special occasion to celebrate!

But why are we waiting for the next holiday, birthday, anniversary?  Why can’t we remember that every day is a cause for celebration?

Life is a special occasion.

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Thanks for the reminder to be spontaneous, to have a pajama party just because, to have fun, to celebrate the joy of being.

What better reason do we need?

With Gratitude,

A