“Congratulations” is a party. As the partygoers enter, I invite them to help decorate the space. Together, we hang banners and streamers, inflate balloons, put on music, set party appropriate lighting, and serve cake. Together we create a celebratory space, albeit one with a dark undercurrent. The pop songs chosen to soundtrack the revelry are a little hopeless and the brightly colored balloons display opaque messages. I end the party with a speech congratulating everyone for coming, speaking about the difficulties we have all witnessed and the fact that we will certainly face worse, inviting them to celebrate this certainty and the clarity it brings. As they exit, I present each person with a hand signed certificate that reads, “Congratulations/ here you are/ and I am so proud of you.”
