Birthdays.
I love them. And yet they bring all these expectations and all of these plans that grow you and teach you more than you ever knew. I hope I can always keep learning from my kids, because their stories grow me when I reflect.. And yesterday's Birthday story was a tough one...
February 5th, Aidan's Birthday. And when he woke up it didn't matter that he got to go to a Nuggets game weeks before as his big gift, it didn't matter that he got to get Little Ceasers and it's already packed in his lunch ready to go, it didn't matter that cinnamon rolls were in the oven, it didn't matter that I wrote him a big long letter about how special he is, it didn't matter that he gets to sit on the bench with CCU next weekend...what was tough is that he woke up and it wasn't what he expected. He expected to get Instagram and a different gift from Micah.
And before we jump to conclusions and judge what a spoiled brat he is, let's all look at our own lives and our own expectations. Because I'm pretty sure I act like that a lot, and not just on my birthday. On a lot of days I look at the two things that didn't go my way instead of the long list of all the gifts and blessings I have in life. And I think that nobody cares what is important to me when exactly the opposite is true. Just like for Aidan sitting on the bench with CCU is a gift that means more than any book or toy will mean. But it wasn't happening on the day of his Birthday and so he felt like we all feel...let down.
Dang.
When you see your kids act this way you can so easily see the foolishness to their thinking. But what about when we act this way? Can we see the foolishness in the moment or do we have to throw a temper tantrum first?
Fast forward.
Stories don't end in the beginning. And so Aidan's 12th birthday is a story that had a few bumps and tears but ended with a little boy (I'm still taller than him...) getting tucked in, giggling, feeling loved...not because he got what he expected but because he truly is loved by those around him. His locker was decorated by his friends. He got to go to Thomas' basketball game and get Sonic for dinner. He got to watch CCU's basketball game via video. He got more than he expected and he remember what he forgot when he woke up. It isn't about what happens on one day or what you don't get but rather it's about embracing it all.
And we got to sing campfire songs together as he went to bed and he knew what he forgot when he woke up that morning...birthday boys are loved. No matter what.
And so are we.
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