HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I don’t really think much about birthdays anymore. In fact, I don’t remember ever thinking much about birthdays. I have no memory of any birthday celebration from my childhood. I know there were no parties.

When I got to high school, friends tried to celebrate with a surprise. I appreciated the effort, but really, there were no surprises, but there were good times.

Della, my wife, never forgot my birthday and I certainly never forgot hers. BC (before children) it meant a nice meal and a pleasant evening. That continued until our daughter was born the day before my birthday. That effectively ended my isolated and individual birthday. Two birthdays so close together was a challenge and children take precedence.

I didn’t mind. I was beginning to travel more with my work and in time we had my birthday whenever.

I do remember three huge birthday surprises. We were living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where I worked for University Drive Alliance. Lois (Rose) Thiessen was living with us while attending the University of Saskatchewan. On my birthday, loud noises and my youth group suddenly awaked me early in my living room singing happy birthday. It took a while to figure out they hadn’t just broke in to attack and rob me. Lois, bless her little pea pickin’ heart, had let them in. I had to scramble to find something to wear. I was not appropriately attired for company. In fact, I was not attired at all.

The second was in Vancouver, BC. The youth group came over my birthday night and brought me a cake. I was surprised to see them and even more surprised by the cake. I had never seen one like it. If I remember correctly it was angel food, one of my favorites. It was the decorations that I had never seen. Each person was invited to bring a topping to add to the cake. There was some frosting, somewhere under there, but there was also pickles, carrots, celery, and assorted other vegetable. There was ketchup, mustard and relishes with caramel sauce and more things than I could identify or name.

Their plan was to deliver the cake and leave. That was not going to happen. If they expected me to eat the cake I wanted them to enjoy it with me. I almost forced them to sit while I cut and served that cake. Without hesitation I say, that was the worse birthday cake I have ever tasted.

The Portrait Players, a drama team I worked with in Regina, got in my house and decorated it as only juveniles can. They short sheeted the bed, put honey on the toilet seat, and rearranged our cupboards. There was probably more, but that is all the photo records of their visit.

They tell me that when working with youth, these kind of celebrations are all a form of love. I don’t remember asking for that kind of love. But they were all memorable and I accept the gesture.

Yesterday we celebrated Jean’s 90t birthday. She is my next-door neighbor. It was fun because she was so excited as was her daughter. It was cool. It was even more fun to see how excited she was at celebrating that birthday. Most people at the Home would rather forget about birthdays at this stage of life. But Birthdays are not so bad. They say you made it one more year and you still have time to become all God wants you to be.

I’m glad I have had birthdays. It beats the alternative. When you have grandkids around, you are always looking forward to being there for the next life milestone. I want to see my great grand kids get married. I hope everyone hurries, I have never wanted to live to be 100.