This September I celebrated my birthday, I am 39 years old!  I have not always been a big birthday party person, for my kids yes, for myself not so much.  Even growing up, we celebrated birthdays when we were young, but after becoming a teenager, we really did not have big parties.  It has become more popular in recent years to see people celebrating their birthday all month long and even half birthday celebrations, which I think is great!
Life is too short and we really should recognize what a gift it is to have a birthday. With the recent passing of Chadwick Boseman at the young age of 43, it made me more aware of how we should see each birthday as so very special.  I have a friend who just turned 50 and she wasn't too excited about turning 50, I encouraged her that not everyone gets to see 50.  We really should embrace every birthday.  I get that we are not always excited about the wrinkles, gray hair and some of the things we experience as we age.  Aging is really a beautiful thing and I am sure I will need someone to remind me of this very thing when I turn 50, I hope I am excited about it.  One thing we hear is your not just getting older you are getting wiser, that is true, there are some things you just don't know until you know.  Let's be grateful for the wisdom we gain with aging.

Every September I am reminded of the tragic events that took place on September 11th, and again I am reminded of just how fragile life is.  We should not take one day for granted.  I read a post on social media, I apologize not sure who first posted it, because I seen many screenshots of it.  It read "On this day (September 11th), 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights, 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning, 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift, 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol, 8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift.  None of them saw past 10 AM on September 11th."  While there are so many things I could share about that day, I am reminded again of how each day is a gift.  

When I say celebrate every birthday, I am not saying you have to throw a huge party or go on a big trip, although if you can those things are nice, what I am saying is you should take time to really pause and be grateful for the years you have had and the new year you are entering.  

Yes you should have your favorite meal, or receive that special gift you have been wanting, surround yourself with friends and family if you can, take the trip, but most importantly spend quality time evaluating how far you have come, and setting goals for what you would like to accomplish in the upcoming year.  See your birth date as a New Year, as a reset, as an embrace for all things good. Dream, plan, and be grateful for the simple things.  
I will say don't think you have to go on a trip or do something big to make a birthday special.  While those things are fun and I think you should plan ahead and budget for those trips you have been wanting to take.  Simple celebrations at home can be just as special.  

One thing Covid-19 has made me more mindful of, is to be grateful for the small things and see the small things as special.  Seeing people get creative with birthday celebrations and doing the drive by birthday greetings and family Zoom parties, really reminds me of what is important and that is time with our loved ones.  I see before Covid-19 and all the shelter in place and quarantine, I took for granted family gatherings and friend meet ups.  Sometimes I looked at events as another thing "I had to go to" instead of seeing them as something "I get to go to".  After going through Covid-19, I am reminded of just how special a family get together is.  I now know at a greater level what a gift it is to go out with your loved ones to dinner or to a fun outing, I always want remember the sense of gratitude for all the simple things that Covid-19 has made me more aware of.  
One other thing I wanted to mention is don't expect people to know what you want for your birthday.  It is definitely nice to have a surprise party thrown for you, and to receive that special present you have been wanting.  I want to encourage you to let your loved ones know what you want and guess what, you can plan your own party.  Again, life is too short, want a party, plan one!  Been meaning to go on that girls trip, plan it!  Too often I see people get bummed and depressed over their birthday, because someone else didn't do what they thought they should have.  The people in your life are not mind readers and often times, even if they meant to plan something they too are unsure of what you want or how to go about it  So express yourself.  Tell your spouse what you would like to do for your birthday or anniversary and don't wait for them to do it all just because you voiced it.  Express what you would like and if you don't see them planning or booking the trip, then seek how you can help bring it about. Make sure you watch your attitude, I am not saying plan your own party and have the attitude that "if I don't do it no one will." No, have the attitude of life is short and I want this day to be special and celebrated with those I love.  Don't be bitter and have a sour attitude if you have to plan your own party.  Do it with joy, that hey being with these people and doing this thing together is what is special and I am not going to let another day, or year go by without celebrating together.  

Maybe it's dinner out, maybe it's dinner at your home, maybe it's going on a hike, maybe it's planning that family photo shoot you have been meaning to do.  

This year for my birthday I really wanted to still have cake, even though I am eating Keto.  So guess what I bought my own Keto Cake  I am so glad I did!  If you are local here to Sacramento and a fellow Keto eater, I highly recommend Butter and Nut Bakery.  She is a local Sacramento baker who makes all kinds of delicious Keto baked goods, cakes, cookies, donuts, cupcakes and more.  You can visit her website which has an ordering window once a month, you place your order and than she has pick up times and locations throughout Sacramento and the Bay Area available once a month, so you do have to plan it out a little.  I think it makes it even more exciting, I had this delicious and beautiful Keto cake to look forward to all month long.  I found Butter and Nut on Instagram and messaged her to express my interest, Mel was kind enough to message me and remind when the ordering window was open.  
I received a new laptop for my birthday, which I am very grateful for and is something I wanted and needed.  I was able to go out to dinner with my husband on my actual birthday, and we still had our weekly date night, being able to go out twice in a week and have that time with my husband was special.   My boys celebrated with me at home, I had time with my mom and sister, those things are all so very important.  I had told my boys I wanted to watch Disney+ movies with them, with my pick of the movies and you know what it really is the time together and I am so grateful they have had a great attitude about letting me pick even what they would call "girl movies".  On my birthday one of my sons went on a walk with me, it's those small things that really stand out in my mind as so special.  My in-laws scheduled to take my husband and I out for dinner along with my husbands brother and new sister-in-law whose birthday is also in September, it's these types of things that make my birthday month so sweet, time spent with loved ones. 
Maybe your birthday has already past, start thinking and planning now what would make your day special.  Remember the simple things too, maybe watching the sunrise or staying up late and watching the sunset on your birthday.  Make a Birthday wish list not necessarily of things although some may be on there, make a list of experiences, people you want to share your day with, people you want to go to lunch with that month, someone you would call and thank for their investment in your life and how they have impacted you, to become all you are.  
Lastly if you eat a special way, Keto, Vegan, Paleo, Mediterranean, whatever it may be, find a way to celebrate, there are so many specialty bakeries and local people who would be happy to bake you a sweet treat that still fits your way of eating.  You can be Keto and still have cake!  Here are a couple of my favorite cake sayings:
"A party without cake is just a meeting." - Julia Child
Eat Cake for Breakfast!
Enjoy life and eat cake!
"Let them eat cake." - Marie Antoinette
Life's too short to say no to cake!
The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap, stay safe, and eat cake.  If you don't cut the cake in pieces, and just eat the whole cake, then you only had one piece. 
"Oh you want to have your cake and eat it to? Darn right, what good is cake if you can't eat it."
Birthday's are natures way of telling you to eat more cake.

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