The ROI of Celebrating Milestones (6.5 Events to Mark 6.5 Decades)
I just concluded months of preparing for my husband’s milestone birthday. Yes, months. I have this tendency to really put a lot of effort into making milestone events include something that’s not the usual, cookie-cutter approach.
For Marvin’s 65th birthday, I decided to write a book titled 65 Pages, with the people who love him as my co-authors. So, as early as May, I started gathering their stories and messages. I “searched far and wide” for photos to include in the book. And because no respectable book can be without a theme, I thought of having masterpiece as the theme. A life well-lived is nothing short of a masterpiece, and his life is a masterpiece that’s not yet done as he continues to live, strive, serve, stumble, get up, and consistently show up for the people he loves.
So, what did I do to capture this? I painted my version of Van Gogh’s Starry Night using oil on canvas, extending the swirls into the number 65.
And because he wanted a celebration where he could actually have real conversations with guests rather than just waving from a stage, a single party wouldn’t do. We had what I call 6.5 events to celebrate the 6.5 decades! 1.) Dinner for our nuclear family; 2.) Dinner with former officemates; 3.) Lunch with COL; 4.) Dinner with friends and colleagues; 5.) Dinner with Fausto and Fres families; 6.) Birthday breakfast with me; 7.) Breakfast with his sister with whom he shares the same birthday. (Note: I computed the two breakfasts as 1.5.)
In as much as I genuinely enjoyed every bit of the creative and logistical work that went into all these, I have to be completely honest with you: right now, I’m quite exhausted. The gloomy weather outside isn’t helping lift my spirits as I try to jumpstart my work week starting August 10, 2026, a short one because the two of us are off to celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary out of town.
Sitting here in a state of post-event exhaustion writing my weekly FQ column, a question naturally pops up: Why do I put so much energy, time, and money into celebrating family milestones? Is the return on investment really worth it?
Here are my answers, captured in 6.5 dimensions.
1. A Tradition of Thanksgiving
I grew up watching my mother celebrate milestones with deep gratitude. She always taught me that gathering people to mark an occasion is, at its core, an act of thanksgiving. My parents were big believers in honoring the journey. They renewed their wedding vows on their Silver (25th), Ruby (40th), Golden (50th), and Diamond (60th) anniversaries!
I inherited that same penchant from her. When we celebrate, we pause to acknowledge that surviving and thriving through decades of life, marriage, and career isn’t something to take for granted. It is a gift worth acknowledging publicly with the people who helped us get there.
2. Life Clarity and Intention
Beyond thanksgiving, marking milestones helps us live a more intentional life.
Think of a milestone as a financial or life audit. In finance, you can’t build a sound wealth strategy for the future without knowing your current balance sheet. The same principle applies to our personal lives. When we mark a milestone, we create a clear pin on our life map: This is where we are.
It forces us to pause, look back at the journey, appreciate the trials we survived, and count our blessings. That clear view of the past gives us a good vision and momentum for where we want to steer the next chapter of our lives.
3. The Wealth of Relationships
Milestone celebrations are not just about the celebrator; they are also tributes to the community that nurtured, supported, and cheered for him over 6.5 decades. Inviting guests to share their stories and co-author the book was a way of saying that his life is richer because they are in it. Marvin was also able to thank them all during the 6.5 gatherings when he gave his message after blowing out his birthday candles.
As the world’s longest-running longitudinal study on human happiness titled Harvard Study of Adult Development (spanning over 85 years now) reveals: The strength and quality of our relationships are the single most significant predictor of physical health, mental well-being, and overall life satisfaction.
4. Family Teamwork and Involvement
I feel extremely blessed and lucky that we’ve raised our children to take active, hands-on roles in these family milestones. Seeing them step up as adults to honor their father is perhaps the most fulfilling part of the entire experience.
For this milestone, as always, every single family member played an essential role. Martin took charge of the restaurant matters, hosting our two major events at his new restaurant, Sansho at Greenbelt 3. Anton, who is also a fantastic DJ, took care of all the music and beats. Enrique and his wife Sam stepped in to help manage some details behind the scenes. And, of course, our 2.5-year-old granddaughter provided entertainment with her adorable dance moves.
When your children don’t just attend as passive guests but actively co-create the celebration, you realize that the culture of honoring family has successfully taken root in the next generation.
5. The FQ of Experiential Wealth
From a Financial Quotient (FQ) perspective, people often ask if spending significant resources on celebrations is “wise.” My answer has always been: Money is a tool to live a full life.
True financial quotient isn’t just about accumulation; it’s about high-value allocation. High-FQ individuals know that the true purpose of money is to fulfill your core values. Deploying funds to spend on shared core memories definitely fulfills this.
When you involve your family in planning, contributing, and executing a major celebration, you model healthy financial intent. You show them that the money you work hard to earn and invest over decades has a purpose—to celebrate love, honor legacy, and deepen family ties. The physical exhaustion eventually fades, but the emotional return on investment (ROI) pays dividends for generations.
6. Managing Both Financial and Energy Budgets
Every major event requires both a financial budget and an energy budget. Planning the funds may be obvious, but planning the energy budget may not be. Pace your bandwidth by building in mandatory rest days. If you’re doing multiple celebrations, space them out if possible. It will help you manage your social, physical, mental, and emotional batteries. It also helps you relish each of them even more.
(Important Reminder: If there’s not enough funds for basic needs, milestone-marking can be done without the expensive party expenses. Curate personalized messages for the celebrator, maybe a DIY digital book, gathering of loved ones over a simple meal, homemade art pieces from the kids, etc. Your creativity is your limit.)
6.5 The Bonus Half-Dimension: Imperfect is Fine
No celebration is 100% perfect. You will underestimate some things and overestimate others. You will forget some details and over-expect in certain aspects. Sometimes, even when everyone else thinks everything was great, you will see the details where you could have done better, which can unnecessarily burden your exhausted self.
Give yourself grace. Allow yourself to feel tired, slow down, recharge without a shred of guilt, and embrace the slip-ups. After all, those moments are what make your milestone marking more authentic and sustainable.
As this article comes out today on August 12, the exact day Marvin and I celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary, I may not be fully recovered yet, but my heart is overflowing. Marvin felt deeply loved, our family gained another set of unforgettable memories, and our children and grandchild witnessed once again what it looks like to honor a life well-lived.
To me, that is the highest yield on investment any family can ask for.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rest, recharge, and celebrate 37 wonderful years of marriage with my 65-year-old lover boy!
ANNOUNCEMENT
1. Just as taking stock of life’s milestones helps us live with intention, knowing where you stand financially is key to building a meaningful future. Pause, reflect on your money habits, and take the FQ Test today to discover how well your financial allocation aligns with your true-life goals!
2. True Financial Quotient isn’t just about accumulating money—it’s about intentionally using it as a tool to celebrate love, create unforgettable core memories, and honor a life well-lived.
Master the art of high-value allocation and build true experiential wealth by grabbing your copy of the FQ Trilogy today!
This article is also published in Philstar.com,
