A Great Birthday Party and Present : 10 Years Ago

It's my husband's birthday.

Ten years ago I threw him a great party to celebrate.   It wasn't elaborate and thank goodness the weather cooperated because we held it outside in our backyard.  I just invited a whole bunch of his friends over for an afternoon of food, drink, music and conversation.  It was a great day because we had friends and relatives from all over drop by.    Even though it was a Saturday in summer, my mother drove up from the shore (who does that) and his parents and grandfather drove in from Pennsylvania.  Good friends drove up for the weekend from Maryland and friends from the city bused into our suburb.  It was a wonderful blend of people

It was a time to mark a new decade in his life.  And what a decade it was to be!

Our previous ten years together (9 if you want to count officially the years we were married at the time), had a different focus.  As of July 2005 we were closing the door on the two of us and opening the one that would make us a family of three.  We had only found out about the possibility of becoming three in April and James' impending birth was scheduled for some time at the end of July or early August.  (Originally his arrive was "scheduled" for August 2nd, but then things looked like they might happen faster and I was emailing guests to tell them there might have to be a last minute change.)  So it should come as no surprise that most of my husband's birthday gifts that year were baby related.  Officially it was a birthday party, but gift-wise it looked more like a baby shower.  And that was fine by my husband who was embracing his impending new role as stay-at-home daddy.  How many men would be thrilled if their mother-in-law gave them a bib for their birthday?

It was a memorable day and party.  One that I will never be able to top, so I won't even try.  Although my husband says it was a great party, the best birthday gift he got came 13 days later, when our son, James was born.  Holding that tiny baby in his arms, he entered a new phase of his life.  He became the great dad that I knew he was meant to be.

Today he enters another new decade, as well as another new phase in his life.  In just 13 days he'll be a dad to a son also in the "double digits" (which I guess qualifies him as a "tween.")  He spent ten years being a daddy and helping a little boy grow; now he's entering the "dad" phase where he will continue to encourage our son to be the best young man he can be.  I'm a proud mom and a big reason that our son has turned out so well (thus far) is a direct result of what my husband has taught him.


So Happy Birthday!  Welcome to a new decade!  Don't grumble or groan; but embrace it!  Know that you have shaped a child's life over the past 10 years and you will only continue to enhance it in the decade(s) to come.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Have Taken America Back

Image
Back to a time when all men (and women) are not created equal.  Where women's healthcare is determined by men's laws and not by medical professionals. Where education tells only the "winning" side of the story and truth does not matter.  Where banning and burning books is a social event.  Where people who are "different" than those in power can be mocked, shunned and hurt with no real consequences. Where lies are acceptable and integrity is  just a word on a page We have moved into a time where rage is the rage.  Where hate is not just normal, but accepted and even cheered. Where leaders can ask to have their "enemies" killed and no one will bat an eye.  Where it's "funny" to see someone struggle.  Where felony is applauded. Where compassion is not shown and caring for others is looked down upon. We have taken America back to a time of pain and suffering for many.  Back to when the "haves" can have and the have nots don'...
Read more

It's Not About Starbucks (or is it)?

Image
  About a block and a half from my home in a major intersection.  At the southeast corner (which is nearest to me), is an empty building.  Back in 1995 it was a Bank of NY (I remember this because they didn't shovel/de-ice their parking lot well and my husband fell and broke his ankle one Monday morning.  I recall this clearly because we were not yet married and it was the first day of a new job for me.  I had gotten on the bus to work and he was catching a later one; only he never got there.  Instead he ended up laying on the ground until an employee came to open up the bank.  Then he had them call an ambulance AND my mother who took control of the situation until I arrived home that night blissfully unaware of what had happened that day.)  It eventually became a Chase Bank; the second one in my small little town.  It eventually closed.  I'm not sure when but it's been empty for quite a long time.  (I do know that it was open in 20...
Read more

As Is

Image
  Today I want to discuss what I think it is a relatively simple concept, but may be difficult for some, even an attorney who might have once, over a decade ago won a  prestigious award  for young lawyers .  That term is "AS IS." As you may know, I volunteer in a thrift shop.  Everything we sell, from all the donations we receive, is "as is."  The items are not brand new.  They are not perfect.  That doesn't mean they aren't any good or worth something. They are sold "as is."  Buyers should go in knowing that. (After all you are shopping in a thrift shop!)  In some cases, particularly when we are offering higher end products, we will actually write on the price tag, "as is." Such is the case of two designer purses that I purchased from there this summer.  (I'm a purse-aholic!  Don't look in my closet.)  They were reasonably priced (especially when you consider the name brand), but each had an "as is" clearly marked o...
Read more