Please pass the cork screw and the champagne flutes. I am finished waiting. NOW is the right time to celebrate.
Here’s the reason…
A dear friend gave me a fancy bottle of champagne when she moved to a different city. She had originally received the bubbly for her 40th birthday, and she had been saving it for the “right” future celebration. Similarly, I kept the bottle in our refrigerator at home, also waiting for the “right” moment to open such a gift.
You see, I could never really answer my own question. When should we pop the cork on this expensive champagne and celebrate?
when to open the champagne?
My family has had much to celebrate in 2020, so there have been lots of options. Our daughter turned twenty-one in April. Our middle son turned eighteen in February. And even better, he graduated from high school in May (virtually, but still). Toddler Luke took his first unassisted steps right before his second birthday after months and months of physical therapy. My BIG 5-0 was in May, as was our 28th wedding anniversary. So many possibilities.
I bet there is something you are waiting to celebrate, too. Some hoped for, special thing that has not yet happened in your life. What is that thing for you? What is worthy of a pricey champagne toast? A wedding? The arrival of a child? A grandchild? Acing the big exam? Losing the weight? Reaching a certain number in your bank account? Promotion at work? Retirement? The end of this POTUS election season? A vaccine? No more mask mandates?
Still, my question remains…”When should we celebrate?”
Then the answer came to me loud and clear… “You celebrate today. NOW is the right time to celebrate.”
eat less cottage cheese and more ice cream
No matter what (else) happens in 2020 and beyond, we are called to celebrate today. We can pop open our bottles of champagne knowing that this very day – right NOW- is enough. As is.
One of my favorite authors said it much better than me in her poem, “If I Had My Life To Live Over…”
Eat Less Cottage Cheese and More Ice Cream: Thoughts on Life from Erma Bombeck.
Go ahead. Read it. I’ll wait.
How wise she was! Use the good dishes. Light the fancy candle. Invite those friends over (socially distanced, of course). In other words, NOW is the right time to celebrate.
So, let’s stop waiting for the next big thing. Our big thing is today. Right NOW. This exact day that God has given to us. Raise your glasses and join me. Stop waiting. Celebrate! Today.
