Celebrating Birthdays

Birthdays haven’t always been my thing.

I’m an August birthday, which growing up meant bang in the middle of the extended summer break. For years I didn’t have parties as everyone was away on holiday.

During my late 30’s I realised that wasn’t actually true, not everyone was away. I started hosting birthday gatherings in our garden. Friends would come and pitch their tents for the night, we’d picnic throughout the day, a fire would be lit in the evening, there’d be music and dancing. One year we included a dress up theme – magical garden creatures. I recall some very fine elf ears!

It was fun🤪.

Then, in my forties, something went off and we stopped having these gatherings. Life stuff happened – we moved house, we became parents, a dear friend died.

Lately I found myself looking back and wondering where the fun went. Perhaps you can relate?

Last weekend I watched Emma Thompson in her latest film, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.

Her character is in her fifties, husband deceased, she’s never had an orgasm and hires a sex worker to explore (reclaim) her pleasure.

It is the story of a woman remembering she’s worth it.

It got me thinking, what would it look like to honour myself and my upcoming 50th birthday? To claim my birthday celebrations?

Firstly, where do I want to wake up on my birthday?

Answer. In a bell tent in nature where I can go wild swimming before breakfast. Now we have a bell tent and we often go camping, but I want go glamping this time. I want to pack clothes and some food, to turn up and find everything’s all set up. Then walk away at the end of our stay.

What else? My next door neighbour and I share the same birthday. She was 70 last year and has been doing something once a month with different groups of friends for the whole year since. I’m adopting this idea too!

So far I’ve got a festival with husband in September, and a meet up with uni friends (also turning 50 this year) in October in the pipeline.

I shared last week how one of my Coaching Circle clients celebrated her 50th earlier this year, and cherished herself by doing something she’d never done before – organising a meal for loved ones and paying outside caterers to do all the cooking, serving and clearing away.

Treating herself like the queen of her own life.👸🏻

What would it be like if we all inhabited our queen energy on our birthdays?🤔

Think how much inspiration (permission!) that would give others – friends, daughters, nieces – to do so in their’s. The Flourish Effect!⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whether you’re celebrating your 40th, 50th (or any number between or beyond!) how could you celebrate you?

Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below.

Let’s flourish together!

Arlene x