Every Day Is My Birthday

No, I’m not a narcissist. Nor am I suggesting that I want birthday cake every day. Of course, I’m not averse to a bit of pomp on the veritable day that I came screaming into the world, and I do like to have my cake and eat it too! But what I’ve come to realize is that every day is a rebirth. Every morning that I wake up, I get to start anew. Perhaps not quite like a newborn in that I’ve already left my imprint in the world through the relationships I’ve formed. Still, each day is a chance for my soul to refresh and make the most of my time here.

Time. How often do we ignore that it’s not a given? The abrupt loss of my sister made that abundantly clear to me. Yet even I need to remember to live day to day and to make the most of each one. Why is it so easy to take time for granted? I no longer have the blissful ignorance or naïveté of childhood that let me behave like I had nine lives or, better yet, immortality. Is it that I allow my responsibilities to overshadow its importance? Or that I’ve stopped appreciating time altogether?

I don’t celebrate each day as I would a birthday. Typically, on my birthday, I take stock of my strides in the past year and reflect on the blessings in my life with gratitude. Moreover, I look upon the year ahead with hope and motivation. Just as every new year brings the promise of renewal, so do birthdays. Birthdays are supposed to remind us that we’re unique and worthy of celebration. What would happen if we mentally reminded ourselves of that every single day?

In the spirit of one of my favorite characters in Anne of Green Gables, I urge you to celebrate each day as a new beginning with no mistakes. Every day is an opportunity to make your mark, give life your best, and enjoy it to the fullest. Give time its due by recognizing that it’s not infinite and by making each day count as if it were your birthday. And, if you want to throw a party every day, too—who’s to say otherwise?