celebrate link-up

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What's this all about?
We only get one shot at this life. One chance to make the most of it. One chance to live in the moment. If we aren't careful, it is easy to become tattered and worn and even a little undone.

Another option is to choose to celebrate. More good stuff isn't happening in one place or another. There aren't some lives that are more worthy of celebration. When I think back to a dark time I had after adopting our daughters compared to these months after our most recent adoption 9 months ago, I realize there isn't more good now than then, rather, I'm just positioning myself to find joy.

It's an intentional choice I'm making. It's a choice that makes a difference.

Celebration is one of those slippery things -- we can let go of it and not even realize that it's missing. We can talk ourselves out of its importance. However, celebration makes the difference between energy and apathy, excitement and disappointment.

Let's get together and celebrate each week with a CELEBRATE LINK-UP on Saturdays. Here are a few guidelines (which are modeled after the Pirates' Code, being more guidelines than rules and somewhat optional).

I'm glad you're here.

Guidelines

Every weekend share a celebration. It can be anything (or several things). A photo, a page from your writer's notebook, a favorite lesson, a success story, student writing, a recipe, a new book for your classroom library -- just find something to celebrate. It doesn't have to be big, in fact, unlikely celebrations are some of our favorites. Check out the posts from the first official CELEBRATE This Week link-up. They are filled with inspiration!

Link-up your celebration. There are several options, depending on how you're connected.

1. Write a blog post and share the permalink in the link-up list posted on Ruth Ayres Writes each Saturday.
2. Share a celebration on Twitter with #celebratelu (lu stands for link-up) on Twitter. 
3. Share your celebration on the {Discover. Play. Build.} Facebook page.

Browse through the links. You'll find inspiration and good ideas and more ways to celebrate your own piece of the world.

Leave some comments. This is how a community forms. Let others know you've stopped by and celebrate together.