by Dotti
cel·e·brate :: verb :: to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc.
That’s a little more high-falutin than
what I have in mind but it catches the essence of my word for 2016. After I
wrote the post introducing our December
theme, the idea of ‘celebrate’ stayed with me. Pretty soon I was thinking
that I should ‘celebrate the moment’ all year long, not just in December. So
that is my word, or phrase, really, I guess, for 2016.
Now, I should tell you that my record
with a word each year is pretty dismal, not much better than the whole
resolution thing. But this one, celebrate – is different. It really is
something I think about each day, it propels me to look for things to celebrate
in my ordinary, everyday life. It has also led me to see that celebrating the
moments in my life is a form of gratitude. And I firmly believe that gratitude
is the key to a happier, healthier life.
So what kind of things do I celebrate? I
thought you’d never ask!
In my neck of the woods, the sunny days in January can be few and far between so anytime there’s enough sunshine to shoot indoors
in natural light, I follow it with my camera.
I celebrate the morning light in my home
…
the mid-afternoon sun in my kitchen …
the mid-afternoon sun in my kitchen …
the mellow late afternoon light on my
porch.
I celebrated the first fire of this
winter …
as well as my granddaughter when she experimented with her new chemistry set …
and an unexpected Saturday morning visit.
Celebrating the moment(s) each day has
given me joy I couldn’t imagine, my camera, and sometimes just my iPhone, are
my new best friends. Looking for the
joy, the beauty, the specialness in my ordinary moments has awakened a new
awareness of how blessed I am, how much I have to be thankful for, which brings
us right back to the gratitude thing.
How about you? Have you tried
celebrating the moments in your perfectly ordinary days? I hope you will – it
could be a life changer.
9 comments:
Wonderful word/ thought for the year, and love your examples! All treasures that are so easy to never even notice, but are the basis of inner happiness in this challenging world
You are totally right on, Dotti, as usual. There is pretty much always a moment (or more) to be celebrated, if we are open to them. The light is a good place to look -- and your images celebrating light are marvellous. Even when things are not to our liking, which happens, there are still moments to celebrate -- when the headache comes to an end, when a friend says a kind word, when a dog licks our hand. It doesn't have to be hide or complicated!
I loved the December theme of celebrating the moment and am happy to carry that thought into the new year as well. We get so wrapped up in our own little world that we forget to look around and see all the beauty that is there, ripe for a photo! Celebrating the light is a perfect example. Sometimes those moments are hard to find but so worth the effort. So here's to continuing to celebrate! I'm in!
dotti I'm celebrating right on with you. light and shadow...little moments...these ordinary things that bring such happiness. xoxo
Dotti, I love your new word 'celebrate' and everything it stands for! I haven't found a word yet, but your's has inspired me to take advantage of all the blessings we have every day...even the little ones! When you have this kind of attitude, everything is so much more beautiful and brighter, and who can resist getting that camera out when there is so much to celebrate! Your photos are outstanding! Thanks for sharing your post!
Beautiful photos.
We all really do have lots of moments to celebrate.
Love this so much Dotti! Who wouldn't be motivated to celebrate moments like these.
Lovely moments to celebrate, Dotti! I agree that celebrating leads to gratitude which then leads to being happy and content.
Beautiful photographs, Dotti. I am happy to be celebrating with you, every day.
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