It Pays to Advertise

Wednesday was my birthday.  I once heard a comedian say that any adult who goes around telling everyone it is her birthday is a **** (insert derogatory word here).  I am most certainly one of those.  On March 6 (mark your calendars!) I made a point of telling all the clerks I encountered that day, and for my effrorts, I received for FREE a Starbucks Green Tea Latte (the largest size of course, the only size for a FREE), a Bloom cupcake, and flowers from Trader Joe's.  I just think, in a way, it's a service to announce that it's my birthday, so that everyone can join in on the celebrating!

And I must say, the employees at Bloom are so extra especially friendly.  Every single time I go in there, I end up giving them way too much information about my life.  And then upon returning, I repeat the mistake.  However, they are so extremely lovely that I end up feeling like the really DID want to know about my childhood. 

I was lucky enough to get to volunteer in Zibbi's kindergarten class room on my big day.  Zibbi insisted that I bring in a treat to share ("healthy" lollipops from Willy Street Co-op).  In exchange, the entire class made me posters they hung on the door.  SOOO sweet.  I mean how could posters from 5-year-olds NOT melt your heart??

I attended a workshop at Dreambank that same day (I know, busy day!) on Radical Relationship Responsibility and it was the presenter's birthday too!! (insert a gasp here) He mentioned that he turned 39, which meant he was exactly a decade younger than I.  When I explained how I was late because I had to pick up my FREE birthday Starbuck's .  He hit his chest and said, "Respect".  And I thought, there's that decade between us, I could never ever pull off saying "respect" that smoothly.  The following morning, I even tried it with Benja.  And he immediately rejected my attempt, with a loud and emphatic, "NO mom.  NO."   

Then Thursday, I volunteered in Lotta's class room and EVERYONE wished me a happy birthday.

Apparently, since Lotta did not have the great good fortune to have me IN her class room on THE day, she made sure to SHARE with EVERYONE that it was indeed my birthday.  Even people I did not know were wishing me a happy birthday.  Unfortunately, this time I did not bring treats to share, my bad (I can get away with THAT saying). 

The thing that makes my heart sing is my daughters being able (even at 5), to think of someone else's birthday experience.  Especially at 5, this is super challenging.  They saw how important it was to me and carried that into their day and made choices to spread joy to me.  Lately, I've been thinking of my children as time travelers.  Yes, Ellie is in the past.  But I so often see her around the neighborhood, in the bench at her school.  Or in the books that Zibbi checks out from Lapham Elementary Library that we donated.  She's now on a quest to find them all.  Benja and Lotta and Zibbi, I think of sending them into the future.  I want them to have the tools of kindness and love and humor and creativity to solve impossible problems.  After a day like my birthday, I feel inspired for what they will bring.