Something I read this morning totally blew my mind and I just need to voice an opinion about it. Basically the person heard on the radio that a caller decided not to tell their 3 year old, that it’s their birthday this year because they can’t afford it. My first reaction is totally “What in the hell are you thinking?” And, to be honest it made me mad! Your birthday is the one day a year when everyone celebrates you! It’s not about the presents. The child is THREE. They aren’t going to know the difference. You can get them a $1 toy from Dollar Tree and a balloon and they would probably be pretty darn excited! Making a cake from a box mix can’t cost more than $3. Granted, I don’t know their circumstances but I’m pretty sure that your family or friends would be willing to spend $4 and make your kid a birthday cake if you really don’t have the money. You could possibly even try to get the ingredients from a local food pantry. At the very least take them to the playground or the park, make it a special day in some way. Make decorations out of newspaper or SOMETHING. Celebrate the fact that you have been blessed with a child.
I know why this makes me so angry. Casey and I have been trying to have children for awhile now. It’s not exactly worked out for us, yet. When Casey was diagnosed with testicular cancer last year, it was such a wake up call. We realized that nobody has a guarantee on life and we are truly blessed that his cancer is now in remission. We’ve been through fertility testing and while the doctors are optimistic, there is a possibility we may not be able to have children. Obviously, I haven’t really come to terms with this. So, for you to take something so amazing for granted, just makes me angry. You never know when you’ll have another birthday. Everything could change in a heartbeat.
We are getting ready to celebrate Casey’s birthday next week. Our original plans fell through but you know what? I am SO grateful that my husband is here and healthy for his birthday. There was a time last year when I wasn’t sure that he was going to be here with me for another birthday. I can’t tell you how lucky I am that I get to spend everyday with him. How grateful I am for every blessing I have in my life. So, even if we can’t afford a huge party or trip, his birthday is still going to be a celebration. A celebration of the amazing person I get to call my husband.
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My Monkey just turned 5… when she was 3, I didn’t have 2 pennies to rub together, but I still managed to do something to celebrate her birthday. Granted, my mother helped out with the cake and bought her some outfits and things like that, but I made her a card out of printer paper, stickers, markers, and glue. I may not have been able to provide what I wanted to give her, but at least she knew beyond a doubt that it was her special day and her mommy loves her very much.
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve had troubles with having a baby, but I’m overjoyed to hear that your husband is still here and healthy after being diagnosed with cancer. I pray that he is healthy and that you two continue to be happy.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I am sure that your daughter knew without a doubt that she had an amazing Mommy and Grandma who loved her very much! I think that’s the whole point of Birthdays. I don’t want to judge people but I don’t understand dismissing it all together. I used rolls of pennies to buy a cake mix and icing to make my husband’s birthday cake one of the first years we lived together. So, I know that you can make something of nothing.
Thank you for your prayers. They are very much appreciated.
Loved this post. I totally agree with you! This past year we were moving into a new house the same weekend that my daughter turned two. We didn’t do a huge party, but we did have close friends go to the local pizza place, had a cake and made a huge deal out of it. She was probably more thrilled than if we had 100 people there! Because it was all about her!
Best of luck to you and your husband. Children are the greatest gift God can give us, and I will keep you in our prayers. Please tell Casey Happy Birthday from the Colemans!
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