Birthday Bonanza

 October is my birthday month, and my husband, daughter-in-law, great-grandson, grandson, sister-in-law and daughter’s birthdays too. We are in excellent company during this autumn season of change. 

October starts with my husband’s birthday, which is always low-key. Not a person to call attention to himself or enter fully into a celebration, I saw his slight upturn of a smile when our church’s small group sang ‘Happy Birthday, and he blew out the candle on his Reese’s Pieces cupcake. He entered in wholeheartedly as he ate his cupcake.

Our precious daughter-in-law, Liz, wife to Andy and mom to Liam, was the next day. After she immigrated from the Philippines to become our son’s wife and we spent a little time with her, I knew she was a precious soul, a jewel of a woman. I remember a week before their wedding when we shopped for wedding accouterments. She was unfamiliar with our American wedding traditions, so she listened politely and intently to my suggestions. After a lovely mother-daughter time at Hobby Lobby, we chatted over coffee. 

“I have something to ask you,” Liz said hesitantly. I braced myself for a difficult question, imagining it was something negative about Andy or our family.

“In the Philippines, we call our parents-in-law mom and dad. May I call you mom and dad now?” Looking at me with her expressive brown eyes, I looked back at her with tears stinging my eyes. 

“Of…of course,” I stammered. “I would be honored if you called me mom. And I can’t imagine Andy’s dad having any problem with being called dad.” 

Unknown to Liz, my tears came because past relationships with our ex-daughters-in-laws ended abruptly or were difficult. Over four years later, my affection and respect for Liz have not diminished but have grown stronger.

We celebrated the first birthday of our first great-grandson, Levi, by sending a message with a cute gif on Facebook Messenger, mailing a birthday card and enjoying the pictures posted on Facebook from his party. So big, so fast…how does that happen?

Liam, Andy and Liz’s son, turned three-years-old days before my birthday. We video-chatted without him because he was napping longer than usual. The medication for his fever and ear infection made him sleepy, and when he joined our video, he cried on his mom’s shoulder.

But then he stopped when he heard our voices, raised his head and gave us his thousand-watt Liam smile. So many people love that little boy with a smile that eclipses any sadness in a human heart, especially his grandma’s.

I woke up with sadness on the morning of the last year in my sixties (now you know how old I am). No event had precipitated this mood, just a general malaise. 

Not two cups of coffee could shake me out of it, nor reading the beloved words of Jesus, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1)

The mood dissipated as the day went on. Thankfulness rose in me as I thought about all my blessings in October, all the family born to us, enriching our lives together–even when we are all miles apart. My only sister-in-law's and only daughter’s birthdays are yet to come. 

I think there is a Birthday Bonanza Part II scheduled for next week.