Life is Worth Celebrating!
What an amazing weekend of celebrating my husband, Bishop Johnathan E. Alvarado’s 60th Birthday! It was a joy to host this milestone birthday party considering the grief we have experienced behind the loss of loved ones, particularly our brother Pedro and our family Leo pet, who passed away a year ago, in December 2024.
While the 60th Birthday Gala and events were amazing, this season of celebrating and remembering began with hosting Thanksgiving dinner in our home. This year was very special because it was the first Thanksgiving that me and my sisters Inez, Cassandra and Yolonda and our children were together since our mother’s funeral. After Mom passed away holidays were never the same. Our nephews Ryan and Darrell moved back home to Chicago, Il.
Our daughter Ariel had moved to Columbus, OH for graduate school. Upon graduating she moved to Wilmington, DE where she worked as a conducting fellow for the Wilmington Delaware Children’s Choir for 2 years. Our oldest son Johnathan, II and daughter-in-love Jasmine had begun a new tradition of spending the Thanksgiving holiday with her parents. Our son Joshua, and our niece Simone were either working on Thanksgiving or hanging out with friends. But this year all our children decided to spend Thanksgiving with us.
We enjoyed the special blessing of hosting our spiritual son, Dr. Michael Washington and his sons Bryce and Brooks who came from Chicago to spend Thanksgiving week in our home. We enjoyed hosting our aunt and uncle Lawrence and Connie Thomas, our cousin Phyllis, my best friend Roz, her son Trey, and our GCI family, Butch and Michele. It was a joy hearing and watching our grandson and grandnieces run through the house laughing and playing with one another. We gave thanks for the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us and were grateful for the opportunity to share these special moments with those who remain.
Life moves fast, but celebrations like my husband’s 60th Birthday Gala invites us to slow down and truly see the beauty right in front of us. The love, joy, smiles and dancing that filled the ballroom with family, friends, congregants and colleagues was like oxygen to our souls.
Year-end celebration is more than a ritual, it’s a sacred moment to recognize your progress, bless your future, and close the chapter with gratitude. As we come to the end of the year 2025, take time to reflect on all you’ve overcome and all you’ve become. Not just the big milestones, but the quiet growth, the small victories, and the healing work happening in places no one else sees.
Every new day is a gift from God. It is a reminder that hope is still alive and joy is still possible. So, pause. Breathe. Give thanks. Choose joy on purpose. Honor your journey. Reflect on the lessons you’ve learned, strength you’ve gained, the prayers you’ve prayed, and the grace that has carried you through every season because life is worth celebrating!
Dr. Toni