Celebrating the Big and the Small

With my birthday recently passing, I’ve been reflecting on how I celebrate both my big and small wins.

Celebrations often focus on the “big” moments—birthdays, holidays, graduations, but I’ve come to believe it’s just as important to acknowledge the little daily victories. Those tiny moments of effort and courage are what build the big ones.

Birthdays and milestones feel so significant because they’re the culmination of all those small steps—every choice, every challenge, every day we showed up. That’s what creates both the emotional high and the pressure that comes with big celebrations.

This hit me deeply as I turned 20 this past week. Twenty felt like a huge milestone; two full decades. Part of me felt like I was supposed to be grown and have everything figured out. But another part of me realized how young I still am, and how much I’ve already lived through.

Looking back on my journey, all I could think about was how each little moment built toward this one. If I hadn’t gotten out of bed on the days I didn’t feel great, I wouldn’t have met some of my closest friends. If I hadn’t pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, and through some discomfort, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

It’s those little victories, the moments of following through when it would’ve been easier to give up, that led me to this place. And now, the challenge is to recognize those small wins as they happen and to remind myself that they are adding up to something great.

Every homework assignment is one step closer to graduation. Every workout is a little more strength. Every day out of bed is another chance for change, connection, and growth.

Living with a disability adds another layer. The daily tasks others might take for granted can be much more difficult. And that makes it even more important to celebrate doing them. Yes, getting dressed, leaving the house, or finishing a small task may seem “normal”, but for some of us, they are real accomplishments. Acts of strength, not signs of weakness.

To do this, I’ve had to reframe what celebration means to me. The hardest part was letting go of the idea that celebration had to be perfect or Instagram-worthy. To keep myself grounded, I started journaling every night. Nothing fancy—just a few prompts:

• A high and a low from the day

• My biggest accomplishment

• A goal for tomorrow

• Three things I’m grateful for

Some days, my accomplishment was simply getting out of bed. Other days, it was pushing myself to complete a 5K. Either way, I made it a point to celebrate something good from each day.

Because at the end of the day, those little things? They’re not little at all.

They are the foundation of everything. The early mornings you didn’t want to face, the hard conversations you chose to have, the moments you chose rest over guilt, or pushed through pain to show up for yourself. All of these seemingly ordinary decisions are actually extraordinary when you stack them together.

Turning 20 made me realize just how much strength lives in the everyday. My life hasn’t been made up of just big milestones, it’s been shaped by thousands of quiet moments no one saw but me. Moments where I chose to keep going. Moments where I gave myself grace. Moments where I stood back up, even when no one was watching.

So I’m learning to celebrate differently now. Not just the birthdays or achievements, but the tenacity it takes to live with intention, especially when things feel hard. I’m learning that celebration isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s just a whispered “I’m proud of you” to yourself at the end of the day.

If you’re someone who feels like you’re only allowed to celebrate when you’ve done something “big,” I want you to know that your everyday effort counts. In fact, it’s everything. You don’t need to hit some imaginary benchmark to feel worthy of acknowledgment. You already are.

So here’s to the big moments, yes, but also to every tiny act of resilience, every quiet win, every morning you start again. They all matter. They all build something. And they all deserve to be celebrated.

You are doing more than enough. Keep going. Keep celebrating.