“We always said we’d be there for the big moments.” -Robin, How I Met Your Mother

A couple months ago I watched my friend Luke marry Jenna, his girlfriend of over seven years. I said goodbye to my friend Sarah as she packed up and made a move to Manhattan to start a new career. Recently, I helped my brother with ring shopping as he got ready to propose to his girlfriend,  now fiancee, Katie.  New chapters seem to be opening at every turn.  Whether it’s new relationships, new stages of relationships, new careers, or new places we are all given many “big” moments in our lives.

I’ve had my share of sharing in the big moments of my friends and family.  I’ve seen people take on scary, ambitious moves and completely surprise themselves of their own capabilities.  I’ve seen people fall in love and get to the point of wanting to share their life with someone special.  I’ve seen people move across the world and make a home in a place that was once so completely foreign to them. I’ve seen people throw caution to the wind and follow their dreams, despite the risk and uncertainty that came with it.

Whatever the milestone your life is at, there is always a reason to celebrate where you are and how far you have come.  No matter how gray the sky may look, there is always a sun on the other side ready to break the clouds apart and shine.  The best part is that big moments can be big – they can be marriages, engagements, promotions, and job offers – but even the smaller moments can be big. Getting together with friends you haven’t seen in a while, acing the class at the end of the semester, or just trying something you’ve never done before can be simple yet exhilarating moments.

Some of my big moments were graduating college and starting graduate school, creating this blog, and winning Mr. Canisius (that one will never get old).  Those are both big moments and smaller big moments.  I know bigger ones will unfold once I take my leap into the real world.  My first “big boy” job, the first city other than Buffalo I will live in, my first noncollege apartment – the list is endless.

But the best moments are others’ big moments that you are lucky enough to share in.  Sarah moving to the Big Apple, had me feeling ready to make my move (once I graduate of course) and start my dream job.  Luke and Jenna getting married and Paul and Katie getting engaged was exciting to see that people in love are taking the leap to spend their lives together.  While I’m not ready to settle down it’s reassuring to know that there is someone out there for everyone.

The best part of big moments and new chapters is the celebration of growing into the best versions of ourselves.  Watching the big moments of my friends and family is not only inspiring, but it also is a mirror of the greatness that lies within all of us.

So here is my promise. I will be there.  I will be there for all the moments.  I may not always be present physically, but I try the best to be present in some form or fashion in the lives of those I care about.  I will always celebrate the amazing people in my lives because in some way their big moments, are big moments for myself.  I love nothing more than celebrating the blessings of others and the ones that are still to come!

What’s are your big moments? What do you want to be your big moments? Whatever they are, let’s celebrate them!