Life is short. Make the time. Throw the party. Love your people.
This past weekend, we celebrated two beautiful women with birthday celebrations in the Big Easy. They were appropriately over the top and yet incredibly simple. Both reminded me of birthday celebrations of days gone by. Before Pinterest. Before the Internet.
The first birthday party of the weekend was one of those milestone birthday celebrations that you remember for the rest of your life. No planning was spared for a second-line parade, complete with custom handkerchiefs to swirl above our heads. Like a band of pirates just off the Black Pearl, we paraded through the French Quarter like celebrities. The birthday girl was decked out in a perfectly fitted dress and was given an umbrella made for hoisting and pointing straight to the heavens.
Her husband escorted her onto the sidewalk of St. Louis Street where the surprise of a jazz band sent tears streaming down her face. Without missing a beat, she led our entourage through the streets of the Vieux Carré with nothing to do but dance and revel in the moment. That’s it – dancing and reveling in fifty years of blessed life.
The once-in-a-lifetime parade was followed by food and conversation that will stay in the hearts and minds of this tribe of friends forever.
And then the next day, the second birthday girl was fêted with a homemade brunch celebration. I have never had better shrimp and grits and the carrot cake with cream cheese icing was divine. We almost needed a wheelbarrow to make our departure.
Music played in the background and big conversations chattered in every corner of the room. Dog heads were patted and Shazam was summoned on more than one song. After air kisses and bear hugs, our hearts were full, and serotonin surged. Every care and worry dissipated into the ether of meaningless things.
Neither party had fussy or extravagant details (save the second line). But both parties had one major thing in common: love and gratitude for life and friends.
It’s the very thing we need more of – real face time in the presence of the people we love and whose company we enjoy.
In the last twenty to thirty years, our connection to technology and our obsession with productivity has advanced societal accomplishments while leaving us empty and unfulfilled. Simply stated: our connection has disconnected us.
So if you are feeling down, stop what you are doing right now and make a plan with one friend…in person. Invite someone over for a porch sit. You don’t have to feed everyone a meal. You don’t have to serve from matching dishes. Your house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean (but don’t get crazy, those dishes do). There doesn’t have to be an activity, a plan, or a purpose. You can have someone over just to enjoy one another’s company.
I promise it will be the most important thing you accomplish all week.
