photo by Erik Brolin via Unsplash

by stephanie toews

I love a good celebration, and my girlfriends are experts at finding unexpected reasons for them. When our Korean friend recently became a U.S. citizen, we celebrated by waving American flags, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, quizzing her on U.S. history, and having her don knee-high USA socks. When one of us, (ahem, not me!), qualified for the Boston Marathon, we threw a carb-loaded party and dressed her up in silly running gear. We’ve toasted anniversaries and answered prayers, progress and promotions; any excuse for a celebration is a good one.  

Recently, the car analogy came to my mind. You know the one about not realizing how many of your vehicle’s make, model, and color are on the road until you get a new one… All of a sudden, they’re everywhere. Was there a sudden surge of silver Toyota Highlander purchases? Possibly, but more than likely, your mind is merely tuned-in to them now that you own one. The same can be said of our thought life, dwell on the negative, and it won’t be hard to find more of it. Celebrate the positive, and you'll find a whole lot more good news abounding.   

At the beginning of this year, I made a mental inventory of 2020 “wins.” I sure needed some good news. Rather than focus on the hard and the sad, the scary and the unknown, I chose to fix my mind on the things worthy of celebration and praise. Guess what, there were more things to celebrate than initially expected! And once I started dwelling on the positives, more and more of them flooded my mind. Things like provision and health, conversation and growth, blessings disguised as hard times, and prayers more focused than ever before. I discovered that the things I allow my mind to think on, the stories I replay in my head, are the driving factors for happiness (or misery).  

Our March issue is all about life’s celebrations. From the wedding day to every anniversary along the way, the welcoming of new babies to the glory of graduations, and all the joy that friendships and birthdays bring. And, perhaps, most currently relevant, significant scientific advances in medicine. Celebrations give joy to our souls and provide meaning to the mundane. As our team collaborated many months ago, it quickly become apparent how much talent and expertise our community possesses. Find inspiration as we merely scratch the surface in recognizing local resources, skilled professionals, and artists who will help to make your celebration dreams a reality!  

When was the last time you found a reason to celebrate? After the year we’ve had, it may have been a hot minute. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up and glory in the good. Give your mind a reset and turn off the news or take a social media sabbatical and strive for more one-on-one conversations. Celebrate health and hope, community and growth, good food and good friends; any reason is a good one.  

Love, 

Stephanie 

Originally printed in the March 2021 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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