Every family has a continuous unseen cycle of life that moves at an uneven rate throughout a person’s lifetime. In the beginning, life tends to move ahead at a snails pace. Adolescents and young adults are always impatient with the speed of change in their lives. I see it with my kids all of the time. At some point that changes for most of us and as we get older the years tend to go by faster and faster. Many people try to slow their lives down without much success. How can we appreciate every day of our life a little more? I don’t have the answer to this age old dilemma but I can suggest a good way to start. Take time to appreciate every attendee at your family’s next birthday party.

Here’s why:

I was at my nephew’s 13th birthday party and I noticed sometbing very different. There were a lot less people around the dinner table. Where was everyone? Unfortunately, some of the relatives have passed away which is understandable as one grows older. That however was not what struck me as different. What had changed was that some of the kids, including my own weren’t there. They had begun to move on to college and the working world to begin their own lives. Our family birthday party celebration had shrunk.

Five or ten years ago did I spend the time to really appreciate all of the family around for someone’s birthday party? Probably not as much as I do today. I suggest that you take the time to enjoy those moments with your family because they will be gone in a flash.

The good news is hopefully my kids or my nieces and nephews eventually will have their own kids. Then our family birthday parties will be bigger than ever again and I’ll appreciate every moment.