I had one of the most momentous occasions of my life occur on July 15th- The birth of my baby niece!  She truly is the most precious and beautiful little person I’ve ever seen (and it’s not because I’m biased!).  Since her arrival, I marvel at every little developmental milestone she makes.  The first time I saw her smile, the first time she cooed, the first time she rolled over, myself and my whole family were surrounding her “ooh-ing”, “ahh-ing”, and cheering her on (yes… that is a bit excessive, but we can be goofy at times!).  Each step she takes in her development, we treat as the special occasion it is.  It makes me realize… When does this stop?  Should it?  At what age do we begin to take things forgranted and quit celebrating our “developmental milestones”?  As I work with individuals and couples in therapy, one thing I strongly encourage, and something I value in my own life, is a good support system.  We all need people in our lives to help cheer us on!  Each struggle in our lives, and the resulting growth that comes from the struggle, deserves to be celebrated.  Don’t stop celebrating, and find people in your life who share your “ooh’s and ahh’s”.  It’s extremely rewarding!

Joleen Watson, MS, NCC, is a therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. She enjoys doing marriage counseling, relationship counseling, couples counseling, and individual counseling.  Imagine Hope also specializes in family, child and adolescent counseling and serves Indianapolis area including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Noblesville, Zionsville, Westfield, and Fishers.