Here's to you, single gal

Here's something I've been thinking lately: on a cultural level, after a certain point, women quit being celebrated for just being. Hang with me. As a kid, we're celebrated for normal kid things, like walking and reading and graduating swim lessons, or ballet class, or high school. Then we are celebrated for going to college, being active in a sorority or major or whatever, then we graduate and accolades pour in. But after that.... the celebrating kind of stops. Until an engagement. Or a wedding. Or a baby.

Um. 

Now what I AM NOT SAYING is that I hate celebrating engagements and weddings and babies. Those things are great, and beautiful, and I love celebrating women who are walking into those seasons and I can't wait to walk into those seasons myself. But do you see what I mean? There comes a point when the next "official milestone" is something totally out of a girl's control, so she just kind of.... chills?

Listen, I am all about the next milestone, but in the mean time I have done anything but chill. I am learning and growing and changing and I see a hundred women around me who are doing the same. Women who deserve a freakin' PARADE for all they are accomplishing, big or small.

So, here's to you, single gal.

You should be celebrated for learning to change the oil in your car, and also for the time you squealed because you thought your jumper cables were going to blow up.

For all the times you played in the kitchen and concocted Barefoot  Contessa-level meals for one. And for the times you prepared Barefoot Contessa-level meals for the multitudes and opened up your home.

For working hard and paying your own bills. You are a bad-ass. You should be celebrated for putting on your tool belt and figuring out how to fix things around the house. And for being humble enough to ask for help when you need it. 

You should be celebrated for learning how to budget and be a real adult and navigate the stress of payments and loans and flat tires.

You should be celebrated for being powerful. Don't ever be ashamed of your power, or your ability to lead. Those are God-given gifts and damn, girl, He'll use them. You should be celebrated for the moments you don't feel powerful, and you really just want a good snuggle, and the only snuggle buddy available is your puppy.

You should be celebrated for going to that wedding alone, and looking REAL FINE and tearing up the dance floor. 

You should be celebrated for planting that herb garden. And for not waiting to put down roots in your community. 

You should be celebrated for taking that really long road trip by yourself. It wasn't easy, but you DID IT, GIRL. You should be celebrated for killing the gigantic bug in your bathroom. For all the bugs you've ever had to squash, really, because no one else was around to do it.

For being kind, generous, intelligent, brave, sassy, loud, quiet, gentle, bold, creative, vivacious, resilient, tender, strong, messy, and real, you should be celebrated.

 For babysitting your friends' kids on Valentine's Day, for starting your own business, for spending a whole weekend watching Gilmore Girls, for loving your community well, for doing your laundry, for cleaning your kitchen, for chasing your dreams, YOU SHOULD BE CELEBRATED.

Here's to you, beautiful single gal. Even though no one's throwing showers for you, you are doing things worth celebrating. You are great and worth a whole day (other than your birthday) of celebration. If Hallmark needs another money-making holiday idea, I have one: Single Gal's Day. All for you, ya big cutie.

Go forth and be.