Celebrate being you. Everyday.

It is wedding season and the long year’s planning  by brides, grooms and family members and friends culminates in a formal celebration of love. It signifies a new beginning of partnership and extended family ties. I find it wonderful to be able to photograph these events and cherish each individual story I am invited to record. It is truly heartwarming.

I also turn my thoughts to the many days of our lives which are seemingly “ordinary”. I realize more and more, that each one is a special celebration. It is about you and every day and all the small wonders. Days may go by unnoticed by others and they may seem uneventful.No party, no audience, no fireworks, but they are never devoid of something very valuable.

Everyone has the choice to see, touch and feel the gifts that we have all around us. Is it an ocean wave coming in to shore, a tiny glistening shell on a sandy beach, a walk though a scented grassy field, or the recognition that you are simply alive in this sometimes crazy world?

Celebrate your weddings and birthdays to the hilt, but also celebrate your tiny insignificant moments. Dance through ocean waves or through open archways. Run down a grassy field or a set of city steps. Sing loud outside of the shower. It will make you and other people happy. They will want to celebrate too, even if they do not show it.

I wait for a fitting  occasion to wear the many pretty dresses I have stuffed in my closet. I purchased them over time with so much love and excitement. They rarely see the light of day! When is the time right?  I made a vow recently. I have decided to wear them again without waiting for the formal occasions. Just because and even if I am just going out to buy groceries ! There are  plenty of reasons to dress up and feel good without an invitation.

So get out there and grab the moment to dance through the waves and get that dress wet.Sing in the park and lay down on a bench and look at the clouds passing overhead.Treat yourself to ice cream and savour each lick. Buy a second one. Smile at a stranger and welcome the reaction. Yes, it is time to celebrate being you !