This past week I turned 37. I do not have any real emotional reactions to the number or the idea of getting older. My biggest annoyance with aging is that my body takes longer to heal. But that is a blog for another day. I was deeply encouraged by the number of people who sent me texts, emails, cards, and social media notes for my birthday. Many people said many nice things. It was humbling and uplifting.

As I reflected on the birthday love something struck me: Why do we seem to wait for special occasions to say nice things? We seem to wait for birthdays or funerals to say kind things to people. Why?  It seems an average Tuesday would be plenty significant enough to tell a friend that you are grateful for them.  Or a Thursday after a meeting, to tell your boss you are glad you work for them. Or a Saturday at Kroger, you could buy a card and send it to cousin and thank them for the way they have supported you. I think we should all adopt a new reality: Any day is a great day to say something nice to someone else. Imagine if we treated people the way we do on their birthday or when they have been tragically taken. Let’s stop waiting for birthdays to show some birthday love.