Birthdays have always been kind of a big deal in my family. More than cake and singing my parents always found a way to mark a birthday with a special trip, event or keepsake; not that there is anything wrong with cake and singing…I love both! Growing up I often thought it strange that others were heading out for a celebratory dinner while my family was heading out for a birthday celebration road trip or some such orchestrated event of sorts. Birthdays in my family weren’t measured by gifts or money spent though, they were measured by experience. The last few years as I get older I often wonder why it is that I still love my Birthday and those of all my closest loved ones so much?
Memories of long dinners with friends, sweet handwritten notes from my hubby, adventures in the car on the way to new places flood my mind as each year passes. Birthdays for me are a time to look back, think forward and rejoice in the triumphs ; leaving the rest of the year to self-critiques. Today I feel the need to reflect, give thanks and resume. Reflect on a year well lived, give thanks and resume the good work and progress I have made both personally and publicly.
This year was filled with plans to mark a milestone in my marriage and I encourage you all to do this in some way-marriage is hard, beautiful and when it succeeds it deserves celebration! My business also experienced a huge transformation and brought priceless gifts of people, places and experience into my life that I could have never dreamed possible. Thank you.
I am immensely grateful for the gift of time and vision this year. Sean Low once told me that artists need to give themselves the time and space to conjure their creative selves and I have done just that. Southern Utah and all the natural wonders this part of the country affords have become my muse in many ways. Long, hot days of plein air painting in Zion National Park are those quiet moments I can always loose myself in when life gets…well, you know.
Another blessing this year has been people. My mother works tirelessly to make sure I remain sane and Momental runs smoothly, not to mention always being there to assist with my many crazy projects. Amazing talent in this industry have trusted me enough to vision, collaborate and execute some of the best work of my life this year. I am eternally grateful and am continually inspired by so many in this business.
Beyond birthdays, as each day passes, as the new successes unfold I encourage you to find a way to mark them in your memories; whether it be a quiet dinner filled with secret glances, a drive to an undiscovered place or a long, quiet sit in a comfortable moment to simply reflect.
Thank you for listening and thank you for all the sweet Birthday wishes…I am blessed.
