525,600 minutes.

today is my love’s birthday!!! ♥

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love
Seasons of love. Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

It’s time now to sing out,
Tho’ the story never ends
Let’s celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!

Oh you got to got to
Remember the love!
You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love spread love
Measure measure your life in love.

i couldn’t help but think of this song as i thought about my love’s birthday. we listened to it yesterday as we sat outside in the warm sun, just enjoying being. yes, another year has gone. so much has happened. so much is happening right now. and there is so much more to come.

as years & milestones pass, i always find myself reflecting a little. today i’m reflecting on this amazing song… how do we measure our lives? our years? i dare say that the message of this song, to measure life with love, with the moments of simplicity & joy that we shared, is most definitely the way to live. it’s not about how much money we made, whether we lived up to others’ expectations of ourselves, or how much power & success we have; whether we kept it all together and lived life according to what we think we should be like, look like, act like. no. those things do not make us rich and successful. that is not living. that is existing.

instead, to measure our life in love is to think back to all the moments that took our breath away, the moments that inspired us, that gave us peace, that made us sing, that made us cry & laugh. the moments of sharing a cup of coffee, or a pint of beer, of sitting & chatting, of dreaming & discussing, or connecting with old friends & creating new friends. a life of love is a life of passion, one that is not afraid to dream, risk, take chances, try something new.

think of whatever makes your soul sing, what makes you feel alive, like you are completely in touch with yourself… whole, connected, inspired, able to breathe. where were you inspired? where did you feel free? loved? amazed? overwhelmed? at peace? how many moments like that have you had this past year?

this song that lina and i love so much, reminds us to live in the moment. to never give up. to never forget that life is meant to be lived fully… filled with adventure, love, inspiration, and peace.

so, my dear love. my amazing birthday girl, this song is for you. it’s meant for you. here’s to a year of life moving into the past, taking with it all of it’s moments of fear & frustration and it’s moments of inspiration & beauty, and it’s seasons of love. and another year – full of new experiences, new hope, and new, amazing moments- appearing before you. with so many new journeys to plan. so many daylights, and sunsets, and midnights, and cups of coffee to come. so many moments and seasons of love.

here’s to the next 525,600 amazing minutes in your life, my love. i am so proud to be your wife and i can’t wait to share the next seasons of love with you! i love you with all that i am.

happy birthday, my amazing lina!