Today, it seems like a large number of our society frown on celebrating their own birthdays. Why is it that birthdays are taboo topics we can’t talk about or be honest about? Just the thought of a birthday approaching can bring a whirlwind of anxiety, yet we love to celebrate and throw huge parties for others.

Perhaps it’s the knowledge that we are not going to live forever, that one day we will breathe our last breath. Death, for some, can be too much to handle, and a birthday becomes a stark reminder that the final day is coming.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Life is short,” but do we truly grasp its meaning? I suspect many of us do not, or perhaps we get too busy to reflect. I say live this life well and see that each passing birthday is not to be mourned over for the loss of youth but to be embraced for the wisdom that age brings. Our body’s aches and pains remind us that each moment and movement is a blessing, not a curse.

Today, I am reflecting on birthdays because the most wonderful woman was born this month—my mom. She has shown me how to age gracefully. I feel so blessed to call her my mom and friend. I know I won’t have as many birthdays to celebrate with her, so this year, I truly feel blessed to share just one more with her.

Birthdays should be embraced as a celebration of life, so celebrate yours and remember to celebrate your loved ones while we can. Let’s change our mindset and view birthdays as milestones of wisdom, growth, and another year of cherished memories. Celebrate life and the people who enrich it.

Some great Bible verses on aging that I found

• “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm 92:14).
• “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
• “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come” (Psalms 71:18).
• “He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age” (Ruth 4:15 NIV).
• “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4 NIV).