January 11th is my birthday. I love my birthday so much which has made it a little bittersweet. I remember being maybe around 8 years old and I was super excited about my birthday. One of my parents remarked (rather sarcastically), “Regina, you think your birthday should be on the news!” I remember being taken aback by the tone and at the exact same time thinking, “That is a GREAT idea!!”

In this new decade of 2010 I had the very best birthday of my life. The month was packed with brunch and dinner dates with friends & family. Jay planned out a whole day for me: brunch (can you tell that’s my favorite meal?), Anthropologie, Container Store, garden center in Denver, massage, restorative yoga class, Sherlock Holmes movie! My best friend spent another whole day with me: trimmed my hair, took me shopping, edited some of my projects and went out with a group of girl friends for happy hour at Via Toscana. My mother took my sister and I down to old-town Littleton for the afternoon for amazing hot chocolate and boutique window shopping. What a decadent month!

But, what took the cake, was the most touching gift I have ever received: A Book of Letters. My mother and best friend collected letters from my friends and family who expressed how much I mean to them and how my life has impacted theirs. My mother printed the letters on gorgeous paper and put them in luxurious envelopes inside a handsome album. It is a treasure. To have these sentiments in a tangible and beautiful format, consolidated, is almost like my own It’s a Wonderful Life movie.

Days are flying by. Have you told your loved ones what they mean to you? It doesn’t have to be as fancy as this, but take the time to just email your sister, friend and grandmother and tell them one thing you admire about them. It will fill them up and it will fill you up, too. I’ve started doing that this month and I’m amazed at how much more content and thankful I feel. It plumps the world back up.

P.S. There is still room in the back of my book for more letters if you are inspired!