Birthdays

I was in a cab the other day, and I remembered this thing my best friends and I used to do. I had this group of friends in college...we sang together. Traveled the country together, actually, singing and selling our records. But we did more than sing together. We were all a part of each other's lives in this beautiful way, a way in which we could all make a difference to each other. We were a family, really. The "family" sort of extended outward, I guess you could say, and a bunch of people were brought together. I was remembering something we used to do for birthdays and wishing my actual family would have done this for my brother's birthday.

To celebrate birthdays, we used to get a bunch of people together at someone's apartment, have cake and ice cream or whatever. Then we'd pull up chairs into a cozy fashion of sorts and have a "time of affirmation" for the celebrated person. That person sat while everyone took turns saying something affirming about him/her. Something about his or her character, something that person had done, anything at all that encouraged that person in who he or she was. In that way we celebrated his or her life. We remembered how thankful we were that God had placed that life in ours. There were always a lot of laughs and a whole lot of tears. But it was the best present anyone could get. On your birthday you knew more than anything that you were loved.

I wish we would have done that for my brother this week. I look forward to making new friends here and carrying on the tradition.

Thanks, Brody, for Positive Post Tuesday. I may not be diligent enough to remember to join in, but thank you for celebrating the lives of those you love and encouraging others to do the same thing.