This is your reminder to pause and celebrate how far you’ve come

Quote that says:

You know what I’ve learned? Celebration doesn’t always come with a cake or confetti. Sometimes, celebration looks like turning your phone on silent, pouring a glass of water, and choosing rest knowing that you made a decision that brings you true peace.

We’ve been taught to only celebrate the “big” moments—the degree, the promotion, the wedding, the baby. And while it matters to celebrate all of those milestones, what about celebrating to decision to rest? What about applauding the everyday courage it takes to heal or tell the truth about what you really need?

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These moments are worth celebrating, too.  

As a pharmacist, I’ve seen the impact that years of self-neglect can have on a woman’s health. We give so much to everyone else that we start to disappear from our own lives. But every time a woman chooses herself, whether by setting a boundary or showing up to therapy or finally scheduling that overdue check-up, I clap. Because, in doing so, she’s doing something revolutionary. She’s choosing herself—and that deserves to be seen and celebrated.

This year, I decided to do the Crescent City Classic 10K. I wasn’t chasing a medal. I wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone. I was simply honoring a promise I’d made to myself. I was simply try to just keep going. I trained quietly. Privately. Just me and the walking pad. Then, when race day came, something beautiful happened around the three-mile marker.

My friends, my village, showed up along the route.  

They had confetti, champagne and encouragement. That moment reminded me about the importance of not just the race, but being seen. It mattered to be celebrated for how far I’d come by people who saw me clearly and chose to clap for my growth.

I keep coming back to a quote that, in essence, talks about how women need other women who think they’re a big deal. And, whew, isn’t that the truth? We don’t just need support. We need celebration. We need women who see our becoming and say, “I see you, Sis, and I’m proud of you.”

We need women who celebrate us not for being perfect, but for choosing ourselves. Because, here’s the thing. It takes a village. It takes a village to stay well. To stay joyful. To stay whole. It takes friends who ask, “Did you eat today?” It takes sisters who affirm you that leaving a toxic situation is a win—even if it doesn’t come with applause.

And the most beautiful part?  

We already are that village. We are the ones who cook, comfort, correct, and cover each other. The ones who show up with hugs, encouragement, playlists and in group chats. The ones who remind each other to drink water, read labels, check our blood pressure and check on our joy. We fix each other’s crowns.

That is community wellness in action. And that, too, is worth celebrating.

So, today, I’m celebrating the milestones that matter but often go unnoticed. I’m celebrating:

  • The woman who left the job that was draining her spirit.
  • The woman who finally prioritized her mental health.
  • The woman who took her meds, moved her body, and still made space for joy.
  • The woman who stopped waiting for the world to clap and decided to clap for herself.

 

This is what “celebrating us” looks like. It’s soft. It’s sacred. It’s necessary. Now, this is your reminder to pause and celebrate how far you’ve come. You may not be where you want to be yet but, Sis, look at where you are now. You’ve grown. You’ve healed. You’ve held it together. You’ve released what wasn’t for you. You’ve chosen yourself more times than you realize. And that? That’s the win.

Let this be your moment. Let your village show up for you. And, most importantly, don’t forget to show up for yourself. Because we are the celebration. Always have been.

Dr. Alisha Reed is a licensed pharmacist and a boy mom who is unapologetic about self-care. She is the creator of the REFILL Strategy, hosts the Your Self Care Prescription podcast, and is passionate about teaching women how to advocate for themselves.