Celebrate the Ones You Love

Today I’m celebrating one of my favorite people on her birthday! She is kind, funny, beautiful, graceful, a wonderful friend, a superstar of a mom, a devoted wife, and a dedicated daughter of God. I admire her so very much! It's a true honor to know her.

I get emotional just thinking about her presence in my life. Gosh, she is someone that I look up to so much and someone I strive to be! Which brings me to this thought: “You are the sum of the five people you spend your most time with.” I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this before, but I think that is a powerful statement. And if that is the case, who are you spending your time with?

I want to spend my time with people that are go-getters, people that inspire me, people that uplift me, people that make me laugh. What kind of person do I want to be? I want to find people that emulate that and be with them! I think my five people do just that ☺️ And I’m glad she is one of my five!

I think too often I forget just how wonderful the people I’m surrounded by are and I take them for granted. My circle, or “the usuals” as we call ourselves, is really quite extraordinary. They are loving, Christlike loving. They are hilarious, like toppled over laugh-until-my-stomach-aches funny. They are dreamers, and dream chasers. They are my biggest fans, inspiring and cheering me on always. There’s no one I have more fun with on road trips or just sitting around the dinner table. They are the real deal and I’m one lucky gal!

But lately, I’ve realized more and more how important it is to not only be surrounded by them and love them, but to tell them how much they mean to me and truly inspire me. And then, celebrate them. Every one of their victories, big or small. Did they finish building their website? Celebrate them. Did they go on tour with a famous boy band? Celebrate them. Did they write a new song? Celebrate them. Did they start a new YouTube channel? Celebrate them.

And then, don’t just limit it to their victories, celebrate their existence in your life. Did they let you tag along on their road trip? Celebrate them. Did they inspire you by their actions? Celebrate them. Did they celebrate your victories? Celebrate them.

Don’t take your relationships for granted. Take time to invest in your friends and be grateful for their relationships. Let them know regularly how grateful you are for them and let them know how much they inspire you. Don’t just wait until their birthday to celebrate your inner circle. Celebrate the ones you love every day.