Do you remember going to school on your birthday when you were in grade school? The teacher always allowed you to bring it a treat. It was always a highlight for me because it meant we were allowed to bring in some kind of candy, cookies, or cupcakes to share with the class. I always loved doing this. And, of course I loved when my classmates brought in treats too.
For multiple reasons, I know bringing in treats doesn’t work quite the same these days with our kids, who have food allergies or for other reasons. I get that. (In fact, I myself am gluten-free now.) But what I did love thinking back to when I was younger was the idea of sharing our birthday and gratitude with our friends on our special day. As a kid, I think it taught me a little about gratitude —and giving something to others even on my special day.
Recently, my friend, for her birthday, brought in a self-addressed stamped envelope and note card for all of us at my workout class. She asked that we write a note to a loved one and mail it to them to spread joy.
How cool is that? I loved it. What a great idea. It made me feel so good that someone would do this on their birthday. It brought me back to those days when we used to “bring in cupcakes for the class” and all the nostalgic feelings started flowing into place.
I guess it kind of felt like a “grown up version” of that. And after thinking about it, I feel like we can even share this idea with our bigger kids too. Could they do this with kids on their sports teams, youth groups, etc? This idea can remind us to spread love on our special day to others. Of course it’s our day, and that is amazing and wonderful. We should celebrate for sure, but life is a gift, and giving back to others on our special day is a great way to remember that. And great to teach our kids while they’re young too.
Just a little “birthday” thought for the new year.