special birthdays

what are birthdays for? i think birthdays give us the opportunity to stop and celebrate life - no matter if it's been a hard or easy year, a year of change or monotony...birthdays remind us that we're special, we're loved, and we're cared for. that's how i have come to know birthdays (and i know that this is a unique gift). i have come to love birthdays because of how my parents taught me to celebrate. and this month, it's my turn to celebrate them.

i could write a list of all the reasons they're special. i could tell you stories about the hours they spent helping me with my math homework or holding my hand when i had to get a shot at the doctor's office or cheering me on at my cross country meets or driving me all over down town for flute lessons. i could tell you about how much i missed them last semester or how much happiness i feel when i hug them for the first time after months of being apart. i could tell you about when i turned 10 my dad sent flowers to school for my birthday and my mom surprised me with a special note in my lunch box (no PB&J that day -- we went out! :)).

i could tell you about the things i have learned from them. when i make pizza for my apartment or come up with some creative craft to do on a saturday night, i know i'm my mother's daughter. she taught me to cook, to take care of people, to be a thrifty shopper at the grocery store and to have fun with paper and stamps and paint. i know when i get excited about school and reading books i'm my father's daughter. he taught me to love reading and learning and how education is something to truly value. he taught me about laughter and that there's no shame in laughing so hard no one can hear what the movie is saying anymore.

i know more about loving others because i watched my parents love and care for me and my sisters. i've watched them let me go and explore new places, and i've watched them welcome me home again. i have watched them work hard and persevere. i have watched them be generous and serve the Lord and listen expectantly to what i am learning and doing and seeing as i grow up.

i am so thankful for them and for the opportunity to be a part of and celebrate their lives.

happy, happy birthday dearest mom and dad!