What is the occasion?

Birthday Loud, warm, unmissable Milestone Birthday 30, 40, 50 — the ones with a nought Belated Birthday You forgot. Own it well First Birthday One whole year of them Sweet Sixteen Sixteen, and unbearable about it Eighteenth Legally a whole adult now Twenty-First The one they will not remember Birthday Far Away Different country, same fuss

Love Say it properly Anniversary Another year in Valentine The one day it is not embarrassing First Date Before the nerves wear off Engagement They actually asked Wedding For the big day Wedding Anniversary Paper, silver, gold — all of them Missing You Distance, said plainly Just Married Fresh off the aisle Renewing Vows Choosing it again

Congrats Big news, bigger noise Graduation They actually did it New Job They got it Promotion Earned, not given Passed the Test On the road at last Exams Passed The revision worked New Citizen A long road, finished First Day School, job, anything new Last Day One chapter closing Sobriety Milestone Counted in days, then years Debt Free The last payment made Invitation With the RSVP inside

Mother's Day For her, properly Father's Day For him, properly Grandparents The ones who spoiled you For a Sibling Nobody else gets it Family Reunion Everyone in one room Adoption Day The day it became official For a Step-Parent Chose to be there For the In-Laws Family by arrangement Empty Nest Quieter house, same love

Thank You Gratitude that lands Friendship No occasion required Best Friend The default emergency contact Thanks for Having Me After a good weekend Thanks for the Gift Actually written, for once Long Time No See Picking it back up New Friend Early days From Far Away Different time zones

Work Anniversary Another year on the team Retirement Done, and properly Farewell Leaving well Welcome to the Team Day one, done right Well Played For the work that went unnoticed Thanks, Team After a long push Client Thank You Keeps the relationship warm New Business They finally launched Good Luck Today Sent the morning of After Redundancy Said without pity

Holiday Seasonal sparkle Christmas The whole warm business New Year A clean page Lunar New Year Red envelopes and all Easter Spring, chocolate, family Thanksgiving The one about gratitude Halloween Silly and a bit spooky Bonfire Night Cold hands, hot chocolate Summer Long evenings Winter Dark afternoons, bright rooms Spring Everything starting again Autumn Jumpers and good light Back to School New shoes, new year Happy Holidays Before they fly Boxing Day The good, slow day New Year's Eve The last night of it

Godparent Signed up for life Eid Warm, generous, celebratory Ramadan A month of quiet Diwali Lights against the dark Hanukkah Eight nights of it Rosh Hashanah Sweet new year Vaisakhi Harvest and new beginnings Holi Color everywhere Baptism A quiet, important day Bar or Bat Mitzvah Years of work, one morning Confirmation Chosen, not inherited

New Baby Welcome, tiny human Expecting The long wait starts Baby Shower Before the sleepless bit New Grandchild Promoted to grandparent Twins Double everything First Steps And they are off

Get Well Quiet and kind Before Surgery Sent the night before Recovery The slow bit after New Diagnosis Without platitudes Checking In Just so they know For a Carer The person nobody asks about

Sympathy When there are no words Bereavement Said simply, and meant After a Break-Up No advice, just presence After a Loss Careful, and unafraid Hard Time For the weeks that drag Anniversary of a Loss Remembering with them Sympathy from the Team From everyone here

New Home Keys in hand Housewarming First night in Moving Away Boxes everywhere First Home Nobody forgets the first Finally Finished The builders have gone

Loss of a Pet It counts. It really counts New Pet A whole new personality Pet Birthday Yes, really Pet Adoption Day The day they got lucky

Sorry The hard ones, made soft A Real Apology When it actually matters Making Up After the argument I Forgot Late, and honest about it

Good Luck Sent before, not after You Have Got This For the day before Well Done Noticed, and said Proud of You The thing people rarely hear Keep Going Halfway is the hard part New Venture Before anyone knows if it works

Just Because No reason needed Thinking of You Sent on an ordinary Tuesday Cheer Up For a flat week An Inside Joke Nobody else will get it Completely Random For absolutely no reason