Celebrating with Meaning

Each year I write my son a letter on his birthday. Picking out highlights we’ve done together through the past year, what I’m proud of him for, and what he’s like now, at this new age. When I’m done with the letter, I email it to him. With the hope that someday (when he’s old enough for email), he will read the letters and know how much each day with him meant to me.

I don’t know where the idea came from, but it’s a tradition that I plan to pass onto his infant siblings. And hopefully one they will pass onto theirs.

At the root of this tradition, it’s not just celebrating a birthday. It’s about celebrating the moments - big and small - that have stood out through the year. A glimpse at a moment in time that mattered.

Similar to the practice of gratitude, reflection on the good things can be a positive form of mindfulness. One that relaxes the body and releases emotions.

Your first attempt at this doesn’t have to be something as momentous as a birthday. It can be something every day. It can be for someone in your family, a close friend, or someone you don’t even know. Or it could be as simple as your pet.

Just start with something small. Writing down some moments and why they were important to you. Then go bigger, deeper. Eventually, share what you wrote with that person. (That’s the scary part).

I guarantee that whatever you wrote will mean something to that other person. Whenever and where ever they read it.