Birthdays

Today seems to be all about birthdays.  Our daughters treated their Daddy to breakfast in bed.  They have become expert enough cooks for that to be pleasant.  We have lots of other treats planned for him as well as we mark this family holiday.  I also wrote up a birthday greeting for Frederick Buechner.  He is turning 87, and we've been invited to make a fuss by sending birthday cards.  I commissioned a card specifically for the occasion.  My friend, Joanie Sciba, did a wonderful job.

Making a birthday fuss over others is something I have to work at.  There are lists and traditions that help me feel confident that I am getting it right, but there are times it falls short precisely because it isn't the kind of thing that does well paint-by-number.  Worshipping God is a long way from honoring a person's birthday even though we do it more often, but the fundamental task of expressing love genuinely from the heart is the same.  The benefit and the terror of expressing our love for God is that he knows exactly how much is real and how much is just sucking up.  When I ask Kurt tonight about his birthday, I will be hoping that he will feel truly appreciated, but I will know I haven't expressed everything I feel.  I will know I've fallen short.