Last Updated on January 5, 2024 by The Smetz Files
In this post I share the small ways we celebrate life’s moments.
Recently we’ve celebrated a lot of annual events and life celebrations. September marks our wedding anniversary. Jay and I have been married 18 years (we’ve been together more than half our lives!). October brings G’s birthday and mine. We aren’t big, over the top party people, but I got to thinking about the little traditions and the small ways we show our love and appreciation.
Life’s Celebrations
For our anniversary dinner, I opted to make a grander meal than most Mondays entail. While G and Jay were at baseball practice, S helped me pan sear filets, roast veggies, and set the table. The kids made cards that afternoon after school and she displayed them prettily around our centerpiece. It was a nice dinner and a beautiful way to start our week and celebrate our relationship that granted us our little family.
Traditions
A few years ago I made cinnamon rolls and put a candle in one to celebrate the kids birthday. I’m not sure how, but that’s become an annual tradition. Each year, I wake them up with a candle in their cinnamon roll and sing happy birthday. They’ve come to expect it and comment on it from time to time.
I am NOT a morning person, but I dutifully set the alarm extra early for G’s birthday (we were already getting up early for a ballgame) to make cinnamon rolls. Not the fancy ones with homemade icing, the easy ones in a tube you can buy at the grocery store. Earlier in the week, S asked if I had cinnamon rolls for G’s birthday or if I needed to remember to buy some. It’s one of those little acts of love that if I had forgotten would have been met with disappointment.
Maximizing the Moment
Sometimes it’s the little acts that become meaningful and important, especially to them. I am by no means the crafty Pinterest mom who plans themed events with each detail carefully thought out. But, I try to make them feel celebrated, often in small ways, and consistently show them I care.
Let them eat cake!
One thing I took for granted a few years ago was cake. When he was turning six, I ordered cupcakes and treats for G to take to school to celebrate with his friends. I had treats for after his soccer game that night. But in the hurriedness of celebrating his birthday on a school night, I neglected to have a cake that night for us to sing and blow out candles after dinner.
When I was putting him to bed that night, I noticed he seemed quiet. When I asked him what was on his mind, he timidly said, ‘we didn’t have cake.’ Insert mom fail and epic guilt. I felt horrible. Of all the ways I tried to be intentional about celebrating his special day, my little guy was disappointed I had forgotten to include an actual cake. Luckily we celebrated his birthday with my parents and brother and sister in law later that week and I made sure we had cake! With candles and singing!
Sometimes the small things feel big. We don’t indulge in planning big parties, but I wonder, what are the small ways you show up and celebrate life events? Let me know how you maximize the moments!
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2 responses to “Life’s Celebrations and Taking Time to Maximize the Moment”
I have a friend who always references spending her time “by making memories.” This post reminds me of that. A cinnamon roll with a candle in it will always be a wonderful memory for your family. This post is a great reminder to embrace life’s small, simple things because they can become the best and most lasting memories for us.
Thanks for helping me indulge the importance of the little things.