It was a 60th anniversary, and I hadn’t planned to attend. It wasn’t that I was avoiding it, but it wasn’t something I prioritized…until someone said I was going with her. She didn’t invite me. She told me. She had an extra ticket and wanted me to go. I’d push against some people, but not this dear friend. I laughed and commented she wasn’t giving me much of a choice. And I agreed to go.

Ten years earlier, I’d helped plan the 50th anniversary, but that seemed so long ago. And it also seemed like yesterday. But my role was certainly different. And that was okay. I enjoyed seeing people I hadn’t seen for a while. I listened to people who were looking back and looking forward. People were reflecting and changing. They were thankful and hopeful. And some memories were bittersweet, including for me. People were missing. People had changed in ways that were difficult.

It was a beautiful day. It’s was an inspiring day. It was a difficult day.

And that’s a snapshot of life. Sometimes we don’t feel as if we have much of a choice, but we do. Sometimes we are uncertain but take the next step. Sometimes the people we come in contact with spur reassurance and comfort. Sometimes the people we come in contact with spur sadness or disappointment. We find gratefulness but it’s not always easy. We feel pulled by the memories of the past and the anticipation of the future. Life invites experiences that fall across a continuum. We might prefer specific places along the continuum. We have comfort zones. We push back against others. We avoid or deny; we embrace and celebrate.

There is very little in our lives that we cannot appreciate in one way or another. We should never twist reality, rationalizing a positive twist on trauma or a negative twist on opportunities. If we’re willing to authentically reflect, we usually find some positive and some negative in just about anything. And we get to choose to learn and grow.

I think that’s something beautiful to celebrate about life.

Maybe you’re not at a significant benchmark, but it’s possible you’re simply not aware of the importance of a moment or situation. It will take a bit more time to steep and reflect. Don’t miss it. Sit long enough to look around and broaden your perspective. Don’t delay the next best steps to take. Keep your eyes open, as well as your heart and mind. Because there’s a lot to experience.

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