Milestones are Meant to be Celebrated not Ignored!

My Mother and my Other Mother are about to observe a milestone birthday. Due to a quirk in a strange twin birth, Other Mother gets to feel the pain 24 hours earlier than my mom. The two of them have been hoping against hope that these next two days would slide by without observation from friends and family. We who can be classified as near and dear, have all been threatened with pain to limbs and bodily functions if we so much as suggest a mass celebration of the events. No parties, no gifts, and no fun seemingly allowed as my two favourite women enter into the next great chapter of their lives. How tremendously unfortunate.

Now I am fully aware of the propensity to ignore these birthdays in the mistaken hope that if it isn't acknowledged it therefore cannot exist. But I would like to suggest that this is a terribly flawed notion of the events and just the opposite should be observed. We should be flat out, balls to the walls, celebrating every occasion that life presents us. We have earned it and frankly, life presents too few opportunities for partying. Bemoaning birthdays or anniversaries as a frightening race against time demeans and belittles the accomplishments we have worked so furiously to attain. Nobody enjoys the prospect of getting older, but it is an inevitability that cannot be avoided so we may as well embrace it.

I realize that every day that passes brings a new challenge, a new ache or pain, another grey hair, another laugh line, another medical challenge or another potentially scary prospect. But I also realize that every day that passes brings a new joy, a new experience, an increased wisdom, a new food to try or a new sight in the world to see. My two Moms are fortunate women. They have traveled the world and have seen visions that I can only hope to view. They have talents that I truly envy and they have never been afraid to try something new. They have been blessed with husbands, children and grandchildren who love and adore them both, and look to each of them as role models. They have survived trouble and adversity and have come through stronger on the other side. They have been fortunate enough to have had each other as lifelong best friends (the word sister is not intense enough for what they are to each other!) who have seen it all and done it all together. How can we as their family not want to celebrate that?

So today and tomorrow I plan to celebrate. I plan to sing at them, take lots of pictures, eat fattening foods (as they should as well!) with them and enjoy the moments, because milestones need to be celebrated. I urge any of you who know them and are reading this to join in the celebration. Send them emails or cards. Call and sing Happy Birthday and embarrass the hell out of them. Do anything except ignore the days. I love you Moms. It is time you started loving yourselves. Happy Birthdays!!!