birthday – We Are All Meant to Shine!

“Find occasions to celebrate your happiness. There is more to celebrate than anniversaries and birthdays.” ~ unknown

Let’s get this Celebration started right. Here is a video to get you really groovin’ for a minute or two and then we will get this partay started!

Let’s sing a bit together now

Yahoo! This is your celebration

Celebrate good times, come on!

There’s a party goin’ on right here

A celebration to last throughout the years

So bring your good times, and your laughter too

We gonna celebrate your party with you

Come on now Celebration

The word Celebration is defined as all of the following ~

a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event

any joyous diversion

the public performance of a sacrament or solemn ceremony with all appropriate ritual; “the celebration of marriage”

I love celebrations of all kinds, weddings, holidays, graduations, birthdays… Yet Birthdays have always seemed extra special to me as it is an opportunity to really recognize an individual. It is that one person’s special day. The day that he/she gets cards, presents, a special cake, and everyone sings to him or her.

What celebrations do you like to celebrate? Aside from holidays and the likes is there anything else that you celebrate regularly or even daily? Is there a particular celebration you attended that you would like to share about?

I would like to share a few celebrations that stand out in my memory. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to study overseas in college and also do some world traveling. On one spectacular trip to Morocco I had the chance to experience a wedding and a festive gathering and dinner being held for a couple who were to embark on the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which is required of every Muslim at least once in their life time. In the following photo Hayat Fennich is having henna applied to her hands, which traditionally only occurs in the case of a celebration.

In this photo the Moroccan couple getting married are being carried to the reception by men in traditional costumes.

Last Fall my husband and I had the incredible experience of attending a traditional Sikh wedding. What a feast for the eyes and senses. Here is my husband and I posing with the bride and groom.

Experiencing other cultural ways of celebrating is very enriching and also comforting, in that even though we may have different ways or traditions, most cultures tend to celebrate similar life events such as marriages and births. It all seems to emanate from us wanting to celebrate life and the joys we experience in our life journeys.

Today is my birthday! ~ I turn 41 years old today.

If you were with me in person we would sit out in the garden and eat vegan cake and soy ice cream together. Don’t worry they both taste out of this world and you would never guess they were vegan. Since you are not here with me in person I still wanted to share my celebration with you ~~ so here are lyrics to one of my favorite songs ~ Private Party by India.Arie. If you aren’t familiar with her music do check it out. She is an amazingly spiritual and positive individual who writes beautiful and inspirational music.

On the count of three lets all sing it together…

1….. 2…… 3…..

I’m having a private party

Ain’t no body here but me, my angels, and my guitar singin’

baby look how far we’ve come here

I’m havin’ a private party

Learning how to love me

Celebrating the woman I’ve become, yeah

I tried to call my mother, but

She didn’t get where I was going

I called my boyfriend and he said

Call me back a little later baby

I hung up the phone, I felt so alone

Started to feel a little pity

That’s when I realized that I

Gotta find the joy inside of me

I’m having a private party
Ain’t no body here but me, my angels, and my guitar singin’
baby look how far we’ve come here
I’m havin’ a private party
Learning how to love me
Celebrating the woman I’ve become, yeah

I’m gonna take off all my clothes

Look at myself in the mirror

We’re gonna have a conversation

We’re gonna heal the disconnection

I don’t remember when it started

But this is where it’s gonna end

My body is beautiful and sacred

And I’m gonna celebrate it

All my life (all my life)

I’ve been looking for (I’ve been looking for)

Somebody else (else)

To make me whole (ooo)

But I had to learn the hard way (ooo)

True love began with me (ooo)

This is not ego or vanity (ooo)

I’m just celebrating me

Sometimes I’m alone but never lonely

That’s what I’ve come to realize

I’ve learned to love the quiet moments

The Sunday mornings of life

Where I can reach deep down inside

Or out into the universe

I can laugh until I cry

Or I can cry away the hurt

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday

Category: birthday

Mojo Monday: Celebration!

Happy Birthday