Celebrating Life Transitions: The Moments We Cherish and Overlook
In our society, certain life events and transitions are celebrated with great enthusiasm. When someone has a baby, gets married, or buys a new home, it's common for friends and family to gather, offer congratulations, and celebrate. But what about the other significant moments in life, the ones we often overlook? Quitting a dead-end job, ending a toxic relationship, or overcoming trauma? These are all achievements that deserve recognition and celebration too. In today's blog, we will explore the impact of only acknowledging certain events and how we can start to celebrate the overlooked milestones in our lives.
The Celebrations We Cherish
New Babies: The arrival of a new baby is often met with joy and excitement. Baby showers, gender reveal parties, and family gatherings celebrate the new addition to the family. This is a time when people come together to support the new parents and welcome the baby.
Marriage: Weddings are another major celebration in our society. From engagement parties to bridal showers to the wedding itself. Marriage involves many events that celebrate the couple's commitment to each other. These events are often filled with love, laughter, and well-wishes for the future.
Buying a New Home: Purchasing a new house is a significant milestone that is often celebrated with housewarming parties. Friends and family gather to congratulate the new homeowners and offer gifts to help them settle into their new space. It’s a moment of pride and accomplishment.
The Celebrations We Miss
While it's wonderful to celebrate new babies, marriages, and homes, other life events also deserve recognition. Unfortunately, they often go unnoticed. These overlooked milestones can be equally as important. They can also signify personal growth, happiness, and positive change in life.
Quitting a Dead-End Job: Leaving a job that makes you unhappy or unfulfilled is a courageous step towards a better future. It is very brave to walk away from a steady paycheck! It's hard to seek a new opportunity that aligns with your passions and goals when you don't know if it will work out. Celebrating this decision can provide encouragement and support for the next chapter.
Ending a Toxic Relationship: It can be incredibly difficult to end a relationship, especially if it is harmful or toxic. Regardless of the type of relationship, recognizing the strength it takes to leave an unhealthy situation is important. This step is crucial for emotional well-being and personal growth.
Overcoming Trauma: Surviving and healing from trauma is a monumental achievement. The journey of recovery can be long and challenging, filled with ups and downs. There is no trauma too big or too small to celebrate overcoming. Acknowledging and celebrating milestones in this process can offer validation and encouragement. This reinforces the strength and resilience of the person recovering.
The Impact of Selective Celebrations
When society only celebrates certain life events, it can send a message that other achievements are less worthy or important. These selective celebrations can have several negative impacts on our mental health including:
Feelings of Inadequacy:
People who don't hit these traditional milestones might feel inadequate or unaccomplished. For example, someone who is single might feel left out or less successful because they are not married.
Lack of Support:
Overlooked milestones often come with their challenges and difficulties. When we don't acknowledge or celebrate certain moments, people may not receive the support they need during these significant transitions.
Reinforcing Social Norms:
By only celebrating certain events, society reinforces traditional norms and expectations. This can limit people's perceptions of what success and happiness look like. It can push them to pursue goals that may not align with their true desires.
The Bias Towards Relationship Milestones
One of the biggest biases in our society’s celebration culture is the emphasis on relationship milestones. Engagements, weddings, and anniversaries are often celebrated with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, being single is not acknowledged or celebrated in the same way. Here’s how this bias affects people:
Single Stigma:
Single people might feel stigmatized or pressured to find a partner to fit societal norms. They might feel like they are missing out on important life experiences. It may also feel like their achievements are less valued.
Undermining Independence:
Celebrating only relationship milestones can undermine the importance of independence and self-discovery. Achievements like traveling alone or pursuing a personal passion are equally important but often overlooked.
Unequal Celebrations:
The bias towards relationships creates unequal celebrations. The joy and accomplishments of single individuals are not given the same recognition. This can lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression!
Expanding What We Celebrate
To create a more inclusive and supportive society, it’s important to expand the range of events we celebrate. Here are some ways to start:
Celebrate Personal Achievements:
Recognize and celebrate achievements that reflect personal growth and bravery! Host a party, give a thoughtful gift, or simply offer words of encouragement to show support.
Acknowledge Overcoming Challenges:
Celebrate the milestones in someone’s journey to overcome trauma or hardship. Examples include simple gestures like a congratulatory card or a celebratory meal. You can also ask the person how they would like to be honored!
Value Singlehood:
Celebrate the achievements and milestones of single people. This could include throwing a party for a friend who has achieved a personal goal. Acknowledge their independence or simply celebrate their presence in your life.
Encourage Self-Celebration:
Encourage people to celebrate their achievements, even if society doesn’t. This can help individuals recognize their worth and feel proud of their accomplishments, no matter how big or small.
Create New Traditions:
Develop new traditions that celebrate a wider range of life events. For example, consider hosting an annual celebration of personal growth! This could include friends and family share their individual achievements.
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Celebrating life events is a wonderful way to show support, share joy, and recognize achievements. However, it’s important to expand our understanding of what deserves celebration. Let's move beyond the traditional celebrations and recognize the diverse achievements that make each person’s journey unique. Whether you’re in a relationship or single, buying a home or renting, welcoming a new baby, or focusing on personal growth, every step forward is worth celebrating. By doing so, we can help everyone feel valued, supported, and proud of their accomplishments.
To gain support in any life transition, follow these steps:
Be matched with one of our online therapists in Detroit
Learn to celebrate all of life’s special events!
Other Online Therapy Services We Provide in Michigan
At Embodied Wellness, PLLC we offer a variety of holistic treatment services for adults and teens with trauma, depression, and OCD. We specialize in many forms of trauma therapy including Somatic therapy such as Somatic Experiencing, DBT, CBT, ERP, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR therapy. We offer online therapy in Michigan. We offer Spanish therapy in Detroit. We also have low-cost therapy!
About the Author:
Sarah Rollins, LMSW, SEP is the founder of Embodied Wellness, PLLC, a group therapy practice providing online therapy in Michigan. She is passionate about expanding awareness of somatic therapy as a way to treat and heal trauma. She incorporates other holistic treatments into her practice including EMDR and IFS.