I'm Saying Yes

There comes a point where you realize life doesn't always cooperate with your plans.

Trust me, I know.

If you've been following my journey with Ms. iCandi Movie Night, then you already know Mother Nature and I have been having a very public disagreement. Every time I think we've got the perfect outdoor event lined up, the rain reminds me who's really in charge.

A few months ago, that would've ruined my mood.

Actually... it probably would've ruined my whole weekend.

But something has shifted.

This birthday season, I've decided I'm saying yes.

Yes to invitations. Yes to dressing up. Yes to trying something new. Yes to making memories. Yes to experiences that don't require me to be the one planning every single detail.

Because here's what I've realized.

Life keeps happening whether my calendar goes according to plan or not.

An Unexpected "Yes"

A few days before the weekend, my friend Melissa called and asked if I'd like to join her at the Cincinnati Opera to see Carmen.

Now, here's the funny part.

The show was the night before Movie Night.

Normally, the responsible event planner in me would've immediately started listing reasons why I couldn't go.

"I have too much to do."

"I need to finish preparations."

"I should probably stay home."

Instead...

I heard myself say...

"Sure."

Not only did I say yes, but Melissa had extra tickets, so I invited a few other ladies.

Every single one of them said yes too.

That alone made me smile.

Sometimes all people need is someone willing to ask.

More Than an Opera

I'll be honest.

This wasn't really about opera.

It was about saying yes to something I'd never experienced before.

Growing up, opera always felt like something that belonged to somebody else's world. But once I sat down and the curtain opened, I realized this wasn't as unfamiliar as I thought.

It actually reminded me of Carmen Jones, the classic film starring Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte. I had never seen the original opera, only the Black adaptation. Watching Carmen felt like discovering where that story began.

The performance was beautiful. It felt more like watching a stage play than what I had imagined an opera would be. The dialogue was sung in French, but subtitles above the stage made it easy to follow the story, and before long, I found myself completely immersed in the music, the costumes, and the emotion.

It reminded me that sometimes we think something "isn't for us" simply because we've never experienced it. Then we finally say yes... and discover we've had a connection to it all along.

Then It Rained...

The next day...

Movie Night was post-ponned.

Again.

The weather had other plans.

And here's the part that surprised me.

I wasn't crushed.

Disappointed?

Of course.

But defeated?

Not this time.

Because before the rain ever came...

I'd already lived.

I'd laughed.

I'd dressed up.

I'd spent an evening with beautiful women.

I'd created memories.

The weather canceled my event.

It didn't cancel my joy. That's the Lesson

I think that's what I'm carrying into this birthday month.

Not a bucket list.

Not a countdown.

Not pressure to make every day epic.

Just one simple decision.

I'm saying yes.

Yes to culture.

Yes to friendships.

Yes to spontaneous invitations.

Yes to taking the picture.

Yes to trying the restaurant.

Yes to the concert.

Yes to the road trip.

Yes to the experience.

Because at the end of the day, we're not going to remember every meeting we attended or every errand we ran.

We'll remember the stories.

We'll remember the people.

We'll remember how we felt. August, Let's See What You Got

I'm calling this my Birthday Yes Era.

I have no idea where it's going to lead.

Maybe more concerts.

Maybe more road trips.

Maybe another experience I've never considered before.

All I know is this.

Life keeps inviting us to participate.

Sometimes all we have to do...

...is say yes.