Gold Star!

I want to let you in on an inside joke in our family- it started one day when I proudly explained I had finished some household chore, and my partner replied “what do you want, a gold star?” “Sure!” I replied. We give out imaginary gold stars all the time these days, and sometimes real ones, like the giant gold star he got me for Christmas a few years back that hangs on the kitchen wall where so many chores are done.

I give myself lots of gold stars, now that I know the trick of it. For example, whenever you complete a chore you’ve been dreading, especially if it involves waiting on hold for a long time, or cleaning up something smelly, feel free to give yourself a gold star. When I completed our taxes, I let Eric know I had given myself 4 gold stars. “How many gold stars can you have?” he asked “as many as you need’ I said. “You can just give yourself gold stars any time you want? As many as you want?” “Any time you think you deserve one” I replied.

It doesn’t have to be a chore, I gave myself a lot of gold stars after my father died. I wanted to remember that grieving is hard, that just staying present, just making it through one more day of grief was something I could affirm. In a moment when I needed some encouragement I found a gold pencil and started drawing gold stars in my journal as a reminder that it's okay to encourage myself when the going is hard.

On the day we celebrated graduations in church, I brought  several sheets of gold stars and stars of all colors and shapes and invited the our members and friends, as I invite you now, to think back over this past year...

What things did you accomplish , survive, recover from, grow, achieve that you know in your heart was hard for you?

Perhaps it would help to think of your inner 4 year old- imagine your little 4 year old self-- what would she/ he/ they want to be celebrated and seen from this past year? If that's too much to contemplate, please just give yourself a gold star for waking up this morning, for facing a new day.

We make a big deal when people graduate, or get a new job, but sometimes it's important to celebrate the ordinary everyday accomplishments. Whenever you need a little encouragement to do what needs to be done, feel free to give yourself a star- as many as you need.