I truly believe that birthdays are a cause for celebration…EVERY year. Now, this doesn’t mean it has to be a huge, extravagant affair each time, however, I do think that planning even a little party, with just your family and/or a few close friends is a must! I feel that in a day and age where we move at lightning speed through our everyday, it’s important to pause for a moment and celebrate the things that really matter. And birthdays matter. Why? Because they represent life! They represent possibilities. They represent God’s faithfulness in our lives. For kids birthdays, they represent dreams come true…parents dreams comes true. Someone once said, “Life is meant to be a celebration. This is how you write on the wall of life.” Birthdays are a big deal and around here, so we make sure to celebrate all of them.
Since my daughter Leah was about 2 and a half years old, she’s understood the importance of birthdays and parties. We love to host many events throughout the year, whether they are birthdays parties or holiday parties or really just any excuse for a party! Leah has watched me plan, set up and decorate time and time again. From early on, she always wanted to be involved and help with the preparations. And no matter what, she is always invited! She (nor I) wouldn’t have it any other way!
In this past year, she has started to take a particular interest in wanting to help plan and execute birthdays! A few months back, for my birthday, she and my husband planned my birthday celebration! She had decided on a “Barbie” theme and clearly instructed Chris on the supplies they needed, where to place the decorations and what cake to purchase.
So it came as no surprise that with Chris’ birthday coming up, Leah wanted to flex her newfound party planning muscle again! This time, I showed her the wonderful world of Pinterest! She was amazed! And without missing a beat, she looked through all the pictures, deciding which elements she liked and wanted to incorporate into her “Fish Party” theme!
Our plan was set into place. I had most of the supplies at home. We woke up early on Chris’ birthday and started executing her grand vision. Just like a pro, she would periodically step back from the set-up, assess our progress and let me know if it was satisfactory or not! When it was finished, she was so proud of herself for coming up with this and for my help (but let’s not make any mistakes here, she was definitely the one in charge!) Daddy was woken up and escorted down into the ocean, I mean, kitchen for a special morning of celebration!
[pullquote width=”300″ float=”left”]What matters is that in celebrating my husband, we were really celebrating my daughter and her talents as well.[/pullquote]
So you may be thinking, what a sweet story…but why is she posting about this? Here’s why…I think it’s SO important to help your kids discover, at an early age, things they are passionate about and celebrate them. Truthfully, as much as I love doing big parties, this year, for Chris’ birthday, a simple cake and party hat would have sufficed. But Leah wouldn’t settle for that because she’s seen us celebrate birthday after birthday. I believe she has watched me do this over the years and in her short life, she has already decided that this is something she loves and wants to be able to do. Is it time consuming? Yes. Did I stay up late the night before cutting out bubbles and fish tales? Yes. Would I have set up a fish themed party for my 30-something year old husband? No. But none of that matters. What matters is that in celebrating my husband, we were really celebrating my daughter and her talents as well. And that’s SO important. She feels loved and supported as we allow her to create and express herself. Is it extra work for us? Always. Does it require me giving up control, even if I don’t like how she’s set it up. Sure does. But I’m building into my daughter’s giftings and let me tell you, that’s something I will always stay up late for.
Two take-aways that I hope you get from this post:
1. Celebrate each other! Even though life is busy…you CAN put the pause button on and take time to celebrate those closest to you. We aren’t promised tomorrow…we have no idea what life will bring our way. And so when these yearly milestones/birthdays come around, let’s not miss the chance to make that person feel so loved and cherished! Doesn’t have to be huge…but let it be something to show your love for them!
2. Celebrate your kids giftings, no matter how young they are or silly their ideas might seem. Give them time and space to explore their ideas and passions. Build into that and help guide them. Whatever that is…from party planning to sports to cooking to art to anything really..creating a safe place for them to explore those early passions I think is critical for their development and ultimately will start teaching them about honing their skill/craft, even if it changes over the years.
Thanks for reading along! I hope your day is filled with lots of love and cherished moments!
Love & Blessings,
