My philosophy on birthdays is this: you are a unique being on this planet. It’s a miracle you exist. No matter where you are today, you have undoubtedly overcome adversity, persevered, and made yourself a better person. You have made an immeasurable impact on those around you. As in that No worthy of celebration?

I get it: for some, birthdays are a reminder that we’re getting older every year. The conversation about aging is thankfully changing, but there is still a widespread belief in society that aging is bad.

But what if we reframed it this way: each year we grow wiser, stronger, and who we are meant to become. Instead of celebrating the time that has passed, let’s celebrate the one year milestone of our adventure.

With each birthday it becomes clear: life flows so fast. By not slowing down at key moments (like your birthday!), we can so easily miss it and then wonder where it all went.