Birthdays, why?

Why are birthdays so special? Mine has always felt like an after thought. Of course I was born on January 2, a time when everyone is tired of gifts and special days. Because of this experience I always try to make my kids birthdays special. This is not an easy task as the children seem to desire more each year. I'm glad there are others in their lives that help make the day a special occasion.

A dinner out is a nice way to celebrate a birthday. On the ages of 8 and 12 we take our children to a very fancy restaurant. It is our way of saying, YOU ARE SPECIAL TO US. On other birthdays we will also take the kids out for dinner to Tony Romas which gives free meals to the birthday child. It gives the kids practice eating in public and helps them practice their manners.

Sometimes circumstances postpone the dinner. Adam's birthday was in September. About the same time by husband's grandfather passed away. 6 months later Adam got his fancy 8th birthday dinner out at Ric's Grill at the top of the old Lethbridge Watertower. Maybe this meant even more to him than if we had taken him out on his birthday. It may even be easier to remember. I hope they remember. I hope they know how much we love them.

Isn't that why we celebrate birthdays. We celebrate the day the person came into our lives and in doing so express our love for them. Birthdays are important and I want to continue our little traditions long into the adult lives of our children so that each year they are reminded of how special they are to the people who chose to bring them into this world.

Now if I can just remember these thoughts when a dozen 11 and 12 year old girls are giggling after midnight and all I want to do is sleep. The theory and the reality are sometimes very different but the result is the same. A child has concrete proof that they are special.