Birthdays can be a wonderful time in a person’s life no matter what age they celebrate. Children get pampered and feel special while adults pretend they don’t like the attention lavished upon them. We fuss and fawn all over someone simply because they debuted on planet earth on a certain day and year. We like researching and cross-referencing our birthdays to see if we share our day with anyone who was featured on either Entertainment Tonight or TMZ. We like to fib about our age sometimes so we can get back the occasional lost year. I think it’s a safe assumption that the majority of Americans love their birthday (mine is in October…hint, hint) and the personal 24 hour holiday it ushers in.
I recently read about a couple nonprofit organizations that provide birthdays for homeless children. One is in New England and the other is in Washington. Sometimes it seems that all the great ideas come from other places. After I read the articles, I wanted to kick myself because this idea was not some unfathomable concept or mind-blowingly revolutionary concept that defies logic. Rather, it is an idea based in simple human kindness and a recognition that sometimes it’s just nice to do something for others. Ugh… I had the same feeling of despair that I felt when I didn’t market my idea for what would have become the Snuggie!
A few months ago we had a six year old staying at the shelter on her birthday. This was made known to me only because her mother mentioned it in passing as they were heading out the door. I think I mumbled an obligatory birthday blessing and then went about my day saving the world. A few hours later, after I returned home for the day, my daughter received a birthday invitation to a party for one of her friends. She was annoyingly excited and I was equally perturbed that yet another one of her friends decided to be born in such close proximity to the other 4 kids that had also sent invitations to their parties. Then another thought pushed its way to the front of my mind…
I recalled my passing conversation with the mother and her daughter earlier that day and realized that (unlike humanity) not all birthdays are created equal. I wondered if there was something I could do that would not be construed as patronizing or embarrassing and might help other kids have a decent party. Many of our families at the shelter are in a difficult situation and can’t afford to spend extra money or resources on things like birthday parties for their kids. Those of us who are not homeless are sometimes quick to set the standard on what the homeless should and should not spend their money on. We quickly devise a category of wants and needs and become indignant when we feel people with little income are ‘wasting’ their money on frivolity. Fair enough and there is validity to that argument.
…I just don’t think birthdays should be included in that category. Try rationalizing the economy with an 8 year old who received a coloring book and some socks for his birthday.
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