I woke up on The first day of the year to a text in the wee hours from a lifelong friend. She was wishing me and new year & as a side note, mentioned that she has an appointment in nine days to marry her partner at the local courthouse. No biggie.

YES BIGGIE.

I’m with Ingrid Ferrell Lee, author of Joy: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, when she says that people aren’t celebrating as much as they could and should!

“What I’m seeing as a whole is that we are not celebrating as much as we used to. We’re often not showing up for for each other as we used to in person. Celebration has been reduced in our lives often to a Facebook wall post with a couple of emojis and not a real face-to-face experience. I find that a really disappointing trend because of what I’ve shared about the power of celebration in our lives.”

Ingrid Fetell Lee, on The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

What is it that she’s shared about the power of celebration?

“Research shows that celebrating positive events with others increases our feelings that they will be there for us if we encounter tough times in the future”

Ingrid Fetell Lee on The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

Ah ha! In a time of deep disconnectedness, we question who will be there for us. If someone wasn’t present for our best of times, we feel certain they won’t be there for the worst.

That being said, I’ve observed that people often downplay how they are celebrating a milestone out of fear that said celebration will be unable to measure up to cultural expectations. Cultural expectations are extravagant displays of time, wealth and resources chronicled on Instagram to give the illusion that one’s life is better than another’s. This often occurs while neglecting what it takes to make a life that is good–focusing on what looks good. Cultural expectations may at times look better (more expensive, aesthetic details down to the last speck), but they often lack the deep feelings that are the real modern status symbol.

I went all in.

I couldn’t fly down there, as I was going through some ruff stuff with my teen. But I was sending her dresses left and right, booking her a bouquet, a boutonnière for her boo. I looked up professional elopement photos at the courthouse they were visiting so they could copycat some pics if they wanted. Did a DIY color season analysis to decide on her color palette, went through her infant daughter’s closet with her on Facetime to decide on an outfit for her…

and I remembered that her and her soon-to-be husband loved the movie Soul.

I got the idea to make “soulmates” for them, using my new illustration skills I’ve been building for ten minutes every day. I ordered it expedited as a statuette for them to place upon a slice of cake, and it came right on time!

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

daily prompt 1820

Love is all about time, the most valuable of all resources. I didn’t know how much time it would take to make a cartoon like this to my standards, but I knew I wanted it right because I love my friend and she should be celebrated!

My husband usually shows me love through taking the time to make me delicious meals, but this weekend he’s gone all out–tomorrow afternoon we’re headed to the city for a show! All In, A Comedy About Love on BROADWAY. WITH LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA—only one of the greatest geniuses of our time, no biggie.

YES BIGGIE.