Gen Z Woman Finds Way To Celebrate Single Friends in Late 20s – ryan

A woman online is advocating for everyone’s right to have a milestone celebration in early adulthood.

In a TikTok videoMadi Beumee shared how she celebrates friends’ personal achievements that fall outside traditional life milestones like marriage or babies, coining the term “One Big Thing” to honor their significant personal goals. Beumee, 28, spoke to Newsweek about how she got the idea, and her most recent “one big thing” celebration.

“I’m of the belief that when you are in your late 20s, early 30s a lot of the big celebrations or big times that your friends celebrate you or family have to do with having a baby or getting married,” Beumee said in the video. “And for some of us, that’s just, like, not a priority at the moment.”

Beumee told Newsweek that this realization stemmed from personal reflection.

“I spent the last few years really yearning for the traditional milestones and placing a lot of personal value into ‘when it would finally happen,’” she said. “When that was no longer in the cards, I was sort of forced to reevaluate what are the new milestones in my life that are in my control, that make me happy and that I can celebrate, unrelated to getting married or having babies.”

Some examples of “one big things” that Beumee gave were moving to a new city, finding an exciting community, getting a work opportunity or reconnecting with old hobbies.

She said she was inspired by another video which emphasized celebrating friends’ accomplishments. Beumee, who works in marketing, came up with the catchy phrase “one big thing.” She decided to put it into action: “At the top of the year, I asked all of my friends, ‘What is your one big thing so when you do it, accomplish it, start it, I can show up and celebrate you?’” she explained. “Everyone’s answer was so different, and some not what I would have expected.”

Her TikTok video captures her preparing to celebrate a friend embarking on her own milestone.

“My friend has been wanting to get her yoga sculpt certification and she’s talked about it for a while, so I knew when she started it, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that she was going for it,” Beumee said. The celebration didn’t require extravagance. “It can feel like ‘celebrating’ has to be this really elaborate, expensive thing, but in this case, I put together a little goodie bag of a few things, her favorite flowers and wrote her a card.”

Beumee believes recognizing these personal milestones is crucial for strong friendships.

“I think it all boils down to making the people in our lives feel seen, and often times, what matters to them might not be what we would have guessed,” she said. “It feels funny to ask, but I think it’s really helpful to know what matters to those you love.”

Beumee is also pursuing her own “one big thing” this year.

“My one big thing is my solo trip to Paris at the end of this month,” she shared. “It’s been on my bucket list for years and didn’t want the excuse of waiting until I had a partner or someone to go with to prevent me from experiencing it.”

The overwhelmingly positive response to her video has affirmed her approach. “The video’s response has blown me away,” Beumee said. “Seeing all of the responses has been such a reminder to reclaim the joy, courage, and vulnerability that comes with putting your whole heart into what you do—because your dreams are worth every ounce of effort.”