Important Moments in Life

Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these.

— Susan B. Anthony

I have never been very big on holidays like birthdays, anniversaries or Christmas. They seem like such artificial constructs to me. Years ago I reached a peaceful truce with my family and friends to not exchange gifts at such times. We have all been enjoying stress-free holidays ever since.

I don’t mean to demean the important moments in life. I just think that the important moments aren’t demarcated by the traditional calendar dates. I will never forget the incredible taste of the macaroni and cheese from The Fat Duck or the thrill of bringing home a new car for the first time. I celebrate every house or apartment that becomes my new home with a quiet greeting and a prayer. I say goodbye to each residence in the same way. Staring at a full moon is an opportunity to celebrate the magic of being alive on this amazing celestial ball.

Celebrate the moments that are important to you and the ones you love. They occur much more often than you may realize. And don’t worry so much about the dates that fall on the calendar.