Week 5: A Better Way to Celebrate Myself

One year ago this past Monday, I decided I wanted to celebrate my birthday in style.  As is our family tradition, I could choose the birthday dinner, and I came up with the brilliant theme of finger foods-- you know, crackers & cheese, veggies & dip, and especially all those delicious, bite-size, deep-fried, pre-packaged delicacies your mother never lets you buy.  I figured if I was going off my diet {for just one day} in celebration-- and I deserve it, right?-- I might as well go all out.  And go all out we did.  There were egg rolls and cordon bleu balls and popcorn chicken and jalapeno poppers, just for starters.  For dessert, we had ice cream with, appropriately, 22 different toppings.  See those three bowls of ice cream on the bottom left?  All mine. 

Everything tasted delicious, of course, and I appreciated my parents providing the party.  But it was hard and took a very long time to get back on track.

When I started planning my birthday this year (notice that planning has to come first in matters of healthy living) I was sort of freaking out about it, and I wasn't sure why.  I resolved NOT to make food be the focus of my celebrations, so in my head that meant I had to plan something unprecedented and grandiose and preferrably free and non-media related.  Ugh.  My best option was to rent out the Hogle Zoo.  Yes, one can rent out the Hogle Zoo.  But unfortunately, the "free" category doesn't apply.  And by Thursday when I called my mom, I still had no plan.  

As I told her my dilemma about how to celebrate, I finally vocalized my fear: "I don't want this birthday to be the same as last year- where it's the turning point for the worse.  I don't want to plan a big dinner or a fancy treat."  As I spoke, ideas finally clicked.  I could celebrate by doing something simple that I loved as much as desserts and fatty foods.  "In fact, I'll eat dinner before I come over, and let's have a dance party and make healthy smoothies."  Even though this was breaking our family traditions my mom agreed without hesitation.  She is so supportive, and I'm grateful.  

So instead of celebrating by letting myself go, I celebrated by keeping myself committed.  And it's not like I was eating wheat germ and brussel sprouts, either.  For breakfast and lunch, I split a Subway foot-long, had a handful of yummy almonds for snack, and threw together a southwest salad for dinner.  Satisfying, tasty, and healthy! Yay, me! :)

And, boy, did we rock that birthday dance party with Zumba lessons from Anna, basic ballroom dance steps from me, and a rousing rendition of the chicken dance!  

And Dad pulled through with some pretty fabulous smoothies.  We did have a bit of trouble trying to get my candles to stay standing on the top of my Triple Berry Smoothie. 

Notice how I blew over the candle in addition to blowing out the flame.

I left the party feeling energized, recommitted, and pleased with how it had turned out.  I feel like this is just the beginning, and Heavenly Father is strengthening me every step of the way.  

The words of Dr. Suess seem particularly appropriate :)

"Today you are you.  That is truer than true.

There is no one alive that is you-er than you!

Shout aloud, 'I am glad to be who I am!

'Thank goodness I'm not a clam

'Or a ham

'Or a dusty old jar of gooseberry jam.

'I am what I am- what a great thing to be!

'If I say so myself, Happy Every Day to Me!'"

P.S. and Happy Every Day to YOU! Thanks to all of you who read and all of you who sent birthday wishes my way!