I recall my once-in-a-lifetime birthday when I turned 13 on the 13th of May back in junior high. Either I was paying attention or it was a lot of coincidence but many things appeared by way of the number 13 around that special birthday. The number thirteen has always been my lucky number. I am mystified that so many folks experience 13 as unlucky. They're missing out, I think.
My daughter enjoys, like all kiddos, hearing about her beginnings. We laugh about how my labor and delivery room was Number 8. The doctor hollered to the nurse to write down time of birth as 12:08pm on September 8, 2004. Eight just may be my kiddo's lucky number!
Two Saturdays ago we lived it up with two parties for her special birthday! Games and giggles with her girlfriends and then family, food and fun with her grandparents! We've got stories to tell about runaway water balloons, escaped helium balloons, and a pinata that flew.
Mostly I am proud of the photo you see below. Weeks ago our daughter announced that she wanted to play her piano for the homeless people, because she thought they'd like it. We began a conversation about homeless people and poverty. And as we prepared for her birthday Diana decided she wanted to do something different. She asked her friends to bring food to the local food pantry in Avon in lieu of gifts for herself. (One mom was so inspired she told me she spent extra money than she normally did on a gift just to help others.)
A trunk full of food later... the Monday after her birthday party Diana delivered the food. The volunteers there fell over themselves about her little birthday food drive! They asked for her address. The church secretary took her picture. She was given a VIP tour of their storage facilities for all the fresh and canned food. Her eyes were big.
We got into the car and drove to her piano lesson. After about five minutes she asked, "So, Momma the people who come there to get all that food. Do they pay dollars for the food like we do?"
"No, honey. They don't because they do not have any dollars to buy the food at the store like we do."
"Oh." It was the loudest sound I heard for another fifteen minutes as all the meanings and significance of that sunk in.
She still wants to play her piano for the homeless people... and by golly, this Momma is going to get that arranged! :)
Happy Birthday, Diana darling- you are smart, beautiful and amazingly compassionate! Keep it up, sweetie!
1 comment:
Very nice birthday! Make sure you record her piano in church!
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