How to celebrate your loved ones intentionally!

Life gets busy. Am I right? So easily we can be swept up in everyday tasks, or consumed by a bigger challenge. Often we can forget to really appreciate the people closest to us and don’t take the time to really celebrate them. Usually, we take the time on special days like birthdays and anniversaries, but what about the everyday? Should we be more deliberate each day to celebrate the people we love most? Having celebrated an anniversary this past week, it got me thinking about how to celebrate your loved ones intentionally.

Celebrate the big things

Celebrating loved ones on special days is easier because we can schedule it in and prepare in advance for those days. Being intentional about expressing our love by celebrating happy memories is a tradition the world over. It’s something that most people look forward to.

But even these can sometimes be difficult to squeeze into our hectic lives. When we allow our packed lives to overtake, what’s important often gets knocked out of balance and unfortunately takes a back seat. So intentionally taking the time to plan these special days is so important. You know they come around every year at the same time so get them in the planner and celebrate the ones you love!

A special day planned

Like I said before, John and I had an anniversary together this past week. We celebrated eight years together and each year we make a point of marking the day somehow. This year we were stumped for ideas for a while. A lot of umms and errs passed by until we decided on what we’d like to do. Often our days out are simple affairs like afternoon tea at a garden center, but this time we made some memories. We decided to visit Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling. I hadn’t been since I was a toddler and have wanted to go for ages. So we did. And we had the best day. It wasn’t extravagant or a lot of effort, which meant we could just enjoy each other’s company and the animals.

Whether you have the free time to plan a day like this, or whether you are juggling kids and work and a million other things, taking the time to celebrate your significant other is so important. Order a takeout, go for a walk together, plan to have the Grandparents take the kiddos so you can spend quality time together…the important thing is thinking ahead on how to celebrate your loved ones and being intentional about it.

It’s the little things too

Planning for the big things is important, of course. But it is also important to celebrate our loved ones in little ways too. Each day we have with them is unique and a gift. When we understand that these precious minutes together are to be celebrated we appreciate life all the more and them for being a part of it. Nothing in life should be taken for granted, especially the ones we love, so the simple act of sharing a coffee together, shooting the breeze, and just being together is something to celebrate.

Here are some other ways on how to celebrate your loved ones intentionally:

• Make time to talk each day to support each other.
• Occassionally buy something you now they’ll love, just because.
• Go out of your way to be helpful, even if you are busy.
• Suggest a day out with friends while you hold the fort.
• Choose to look for the positives in loved ones.
• Don’t take each other for granted.
• Be deliberate in your affections.
• Be flirtatious.
• Say I love you.
• Don’t rush through life mindlessly.
• Savour every kiss and hug.
• Don’t be resentful.
• Saying thankyou.

How to celebrate

How you celebrate is actually not important. What is important is that you do, every day, in the little, seemingly insignificant, moments. A tooth coming through, a milestone achieved, a fear overcome, a new friend made, an ambition realised…when we stop and celebrate the lives and achievements of those we love most; when we celebrate who they are and that we get to spend time with them, life takes on new meaning. Pin that finger painting up on the fridge, listen with encouragement as your partner plays their first chords on their new guitar, go for a walk and put the world to rights with your significant other…there are so many ways we can show our love intentionally every day. How to celebrate your loved ones is important, yes, but not as important as making the time itself. So go on, celebrate the people in your life every day and see just how blessed you really are!