Points2Ponder By Alan P. Scaglione

“Celebrate the milestones of your life—with Family and Friends!”

                                           Points2Ponder

                                                                                                       By Alan P. Scaglone

Birthdays! We all have them—if we’re lucky! But so many people have different views on how to celebrate them!

Some say “don’t remind me—I can’t believe I am __ years old—how’d that happen?”

Others say “it’s just another day… no big deal…I don’t even remember it most years!”

Then there’s the “I quit having birthdays…they just depress me!”

I talk to people all day long. My colleagues know-- when I find out that it’s a client’s birthday…

I SING to them! Yes, I really do! “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…happy birthday, dear “such and such”, happy birthday to you!”

Without fail, they start laughing and giggle and sound like a kid once again. All because…I sang them a song!

What’s that say? Maybe they really SHOULD be celebrating their special day—with a parade and a band!

YEP—I’m THAT guy!

I celebrate ALL MONTH LONG!!!

I really do!

And January—you guessed it—it’s my “Happy Birthday Month!”

I have a parade forming and the band playing my favorite song – Happy Birthday to ME!!!

POINTS2PONDER Why do we think we’ve outgrown the best parts of life? What makes us too old to still have fun every day? Why don’t we allow ourselves to laugh more?

Why can’t we just Celebrate the life we’ve been given AND strike up the band and be the Drum Major of your very own Parade?

I sent an announcement on my FaceBook Page to my 105 closest friends and family—yes, I actually know each of those 105 people AND I want them to share my joys and successes in my life!

So…I let them know—It’s Alan’s Birthday Party Month—and they should be buying a card so they can send it in time to get to me by my birthday—this Friday, the 6^th!

Everyone just Laughed Out Loud!

They were actually startled that I would proclaim a celebration in honor of ME!

But, I said WHY NOT?

I wake up each day with a heart of gratitude. I have often said, “I can’t wake myself up…there are people who don’t wake up each day, so..someone must decide to wake me up!

And I am thankful that the Good Lord saw fit to wake me up one more day!”

So… I celebrate the gift I’ve been given—each and every day!

And the birthdays?  I must say it 100 times a week, “Every day is a gift, and every year is a milestone—Celebrate the milestones in your life!”

I am a BIG proponent of Birthday Celebrations!

And my kids have been raised to have birthday months—their college friends and now their spouses had to get used to it—“We Scags Celebrate Birthdays BIG!”

And why not? Most people get so embarrassed when you sing to them at a restaurant or throw a surprise party—BUT THEY GRIN EAR TO EAR!!

They may never admit it—but NO ONE ever forgets the surprise birthday parties of their life—OR the fact that they NEVER had one!

When people tell me they’ve quit having birthdays, I always respond “when you consider the alternative, I’ll take as many as He gives! I have my reservation made, but I’m not in a hurry to get there!”

They just laugh—there you go again—they are laughing!

Anybody ever tell you that laughing leads to living a happy life!

No one laughing ever committed suicide!

So…let’s see…I have an overnight party on Friday; a lunch party and dinner party on Saturday; a lunch party on Sunday; the next Saturday, another dinner party; the next Saturday, you got it—ANOTHER Party!;

And the last weekend of this month? YEP—one more lunch with a friend to CELEBRATE my BIRTHDAY!!!

And I can promise you…there will be laughter at each celebration!

So… Care to Celebrate Me?