I went home for an impromptu weekend visit when I discovered my mother was not doing well with additional medical issues. One morning, my sister and I took the kids to a bakery owned by a fairly famous pastry chef. My sister described all the delicious pastries, and how my parents have ordered cakes for special occasions in the past year. There happened to be a cake in the case they had not tried yet but had really wanted to. I bought it, and my sister asked why on earth I was spending an exorbitant amount of money on an ordinary Saturday. I pointed out today was no ordinary day.

It was a day to be celebrated because it was a day ending in a “Y.” I explained that every day is to be appreciated and celebrated, and that I’ve decided I don’t offer such gratitudes often enough. Plus, I really like good cake.

Mom was still alive. We were all still alive. I had enough money to even consider buying an over-priced cake. Global warming hadn’t killed us yet. And J. Roddy Walston & the Business was playing in town next month, AND I had VIP tickets.

I write to keep myself honest–to help me practice what I preach. So I decided on Saturday I’m eating to keep me honest too. I don’t want to wait for special occasions that might not come to pass to celebrate life and the joys and smiles and love. So we went home and the kids sang a Happy Appreciation of Life song, to the tune of Happy Birthday. It was all off-key and we made up the words with too many syllables as we went along, but there was a lot of plate-licking and belly aching. So indeed, it was no ordinary day.

And today a colleague swooned over a recent spa experience–the massage, the cucumber water, the marbles in the foot soak, the facial. This person does not get to enjoy spa experiences often, so it warmed the heart to hear her recount her joy and peace. I mean really, who realistically has the time to feel luxurious and enjoy spa experiences often?

And so I decided today also is no ordinary day. Off to make a Spa Day at Home for myself and the kids tonight. Why wait? What am I waiting for? Godot? We deserve pampering and feeling appreciated, every day. It’s important to be grateful for what we have, big and small, even in times of crisis and grief. It’s important to celebrate our gifts in life: each day, each moment, each person, each cake. I am grateful I have cucumbers at home to make cucumber water, candles to light, marbles for a foot soak, bubbles for a bath. Children that giggle during the massages and little nails to paint.

So we are celebrating only on extraordinary days. Days that end in a “Y.” Some days with hugs and laughter, some days with cake and ice cream, some days with watching the sunset quietly, some days with “chicken butt” jokes, some days with dance parties in the kitchen while making dinner which may or may not be pie, some days taking the day off and hitting the beach, most days with wine.

I think every day that ends in a “Y” is worth celebrating. I don’t think we should wait to celebrate our gratitudes and appreciations in large and small gestures. I think we should take every opportunity to turn ordinary moments into extraordinary moments. Bedazzle as many moments in a day as feasible. It’s time to get this party started.