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Introduction

Hello. I’m so glad you found your way to this book!

My name is Sherry. I run a company called Simply Celebrate.

Professionally speaking, I wear many hats—writer, teacher, artist. But essentially, I’m a professional gift maker. At Simply Celebrate, people hire me when they want to create a thoughtful gift for someone they love—like an audiogram filled with messages for Grandma, or a tribute book to honor Uncle Larry on his sixtieth birthday, or a Love List for Mother’s Day (or any day of the year).

My life’s work is helping people celebrate everyday life and the people they love.

When people hear what I do, most of the time, they think, “Oh, Sherry is one of those naturally happy people who bounds out of bed each morning. Creativity and joy probably come easily to her.”

Nope. Not so.

The truth is, I have a history of anxiety and depression. My interest in gift-giving actually began during the darkest time of my life—a time when I was feeling like I didn’t even want to be alive. I was struggling to find a reason to stay on this planet. I couldn’t even imagine a life of joy.

Have you ever experienced anything like this?

It was 1991. I had just broken up with my boyfriend after a recent move to San Francisco. I was brokenhearted and grappling with a depression that had been nipping at my heels for years. I couldn’t kick it off this time.

By luck, a friend of mine gifted me with a book by Zen teacher Cheri Huber. This book led me to take a meditation class. I still remember how I felt walking into that first class. I was in such a place of pain and darkness that it felt like an iron wall closing in on me. There was no relief.

The instructor had us focus on our breath. Breathing in. Breathing out. Breathing in. Breathing out. And a tiny miracle happened. I breathed in and I realized that—for just one brief moment, for one full breath—there was no pain. There was a moment of relief. A moment of peace. A moment of hope. Then I exhaled, and all the pain came rushing back, of course. But for that one brief moment, I saw a crack in the iron all around me. It was like a tiny pinprick of light.

The next day, I had a moment in which I saw a wide blue sky. I had a moment in which I lay in the sun and held my cat, feeling her purr. I tasted the blueberry jam on my toast. Each of these felt like more pinpricks of light in that iron wall. All of these moments helped me realize that I could consciously turn my attention to moments of joy instead of toward the pain.

After some time passed, I realized that I didn’t have to wait for these moments to occur in my life. I could seek them out. I could create moments of well-being and joy.

To heal from depression, some people do yoga, some people do therapy, some people try medication, or all of the above. I started making gifts. It became a daily practice, like a form of meditation. These gifts were not fancy or complicated. Just a quick “thank you” note for a friend or family member, or a list of reasons “why I appreciate you so much.” Each time I sent a little burst of gratitude toward someone, I felt that beautiful pinprick of light once again. A moment of celebration. A moment of joy. It’s really no exaggeration to say that gift-giving saved my life.

This is the magical thing about creating a gift for someone in your life. Not only does it feel amazing to receive that kind of love, but it feels fantastic to give that kind of love, too. It’s healing and uplifting for everyone involved.

I’ve spent the last twenty years exploring what it means to deliberately seek out joy and consciously create moments of appreciation and celebration. I’ve learned that joy doesn’t just land on me; joy is a practice. And “celebration” isn’t just something for special occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries. Celebration is a way of life.

So you can see why I’m so glad you’re here.

This book is an invitation to create more joy and celebration for yourself—and for the people you love. It’s all about saying what you feel and expressing your love—and doing it now.