Giving the gift of affirmation every day

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“Good friends are good for your health.”

-- IRWIN SARASON

“There is no physician like a true friend.”

-- ANONYMOUS

“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.”

-- RALPH WALDO EMERSON

“A single flower can brighten the earth, a friend can brighten a

lifetime.”

-- RENEE BLANCHARD

I recently celebrated a birthday. It wasn’t one that was

significant in terms of numbers, but it was special because of the

many people I was with or heard from over the course of several days.

In our family, we have what we call a “birthday week” for several

reasons. The first is that my father’s birthday precedes mine by a

day and my mother’s follows two days later, so we always find a time

to celebrate one another with extended family members. The second

reason is that celebrations are fun to spread out, and I like the

excuse to plan unique events with various people and keep in contact

with them. This year has been challenging for me, so I felt

particularly blessed to celebrate life and look forward to the next

year.

I enjoyed fun meals with friends and family and the different

cards, calls and e-mails I received. My birthday morning began with a

beautiful morning hike with friends in the canyons behind El Morro in

Laguna. As we walked, we talked about our lives, our families and

what God had been teaching us. It refreshed me to be outdoors and

enjoy God’s creativity, whether it was manifested in the cactus and

native plants alongside us as we walked or in the ocean at which we

gazed.

I remembered the last time I hiked with friends, when we saw

dolphins dancing in the waves in the distance. I also marveled at

God’s creativity in the way he has made each one of us unique and I

so appreciated time to walk and talk with friends. That morning, I

felt especially grateful to God and to my friends and sister who took

time out of their busy lives so we could spend time together. Being

with them infused me like the fresh sage scent of the canyon.

A delicious brunch at a friend’s house followed our morning hike.

The food was wonderful, but more than food that filled my stomach;

there was a time of sharing that filled my soul. My daughter Kelly

and baby granddaughter Mary drove in to be a part of this, and I’ve

described it to others as a time that was both encouraging and

humbling. It was a time of affirmations, when each one affirmed me

for a positive quality they saw in me. I’ve always loved affirming

others, but it was humbling to be the recipient of such positive

encouragement. When I felt like interrupting someone and telling them

what I’d done wrong, I sensed God telling me to just listen and be

thankful.

I have reread the list of affirmations and realize that I want to

try harder to exhibit those qualities that others see in me. They

reported on how they had seen God changing me this past year, and I

realize that I want to spend more time with him this next year, and

have him make more positive changes in me.

I loved the gift of being with friends, and the encouragement of

their affirmations. I also realize that we can all brighten someone

else’s day with the gift of affirmations, each and every day.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.