There are a number of things to note this celebratory weekend, as the country awaits the spectacle taking place this evening on the White House lawn for the president’s birthday. Though I understand the distaste of a caged battle of mixed martial artists on the lawn of the People’s House, I can only be so disgruntled by the leader of the free world celebrating his birthday the way he wants to, as long as it’s legal. We all knew this birthday party would be garish and expensive. So, I vote for keeping our collective eyes on the ball of corruption dollars, rather than just wasteful ones. One citizen’s opinion.

We can, meanwhile, bask in the glow of the judicial victory that restored the face and name of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, though onlookers were not permitted to enjoy the big reveal on Saturday night. I lived in Washington, D.C., for almost 20 years. I went to college there, and it’s where I gave birth to both of my children. Of all the places in the city with sentimental value to me, the Kennedy Center is at the top of the list.

The Millennium Stage opened in 1997, when my firstborn was an infant. As a performing arts and theater enthusiast, the ability to take my toddler to the theater every day for free was like mana from heaven. We spent some time in the museums of the National Mall to build up his developing mind, but by the time his sister came along, the Kennedy Center was a second home. I feel relieved to relive those memories without anger and nausea. Happy Birthday to us all!

Another highlight of the weekend: the Knick’s victory! They won the championship with two great comeback games and ended a 53-year drought. I tipped my sun-blocking cap this morning to adjacent photos of my father and my favorite aunt, both Knicks fans, who died a year apart. Enough said.

Finally, there’s the end of the war with Iran. We hope. Israeli bombing in Lebanon has briefly called into question whether the deal, now set to be signed on June 19 in Switzerland, will stand. Prior to that strike, the cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was verified by all parties.

That is a big something to cheer about, as fighters get ready to rumble on the White House lawn in heat that seems dangerous for competitors and spectators alike. Though that would not be my chosen way to celebrate anything, the weekend on the whole feels like a much-needed shot in the arm of joy, triumph… and, yes, Pride.