The Centennial Birthday

I joyfully announced our birthday theme this year!

It is once in a lifetime that your birthdays add up to 100!

All four of my children turned 25 on August 8th. Their “centennial” birthday!

It was a rare opportunity to have the 100 candle on their cake. This year, one cake for all four. Normally, it would be four different cakes or one cake for the girls and one for the boys, if that was agreeable!

But their choice this year was one cake so it worked out perfect for my centennial theme!

We savor traditions in our family and birthdays are one of them.

As I reflected on our traditions, my mind escorted me back to the eight months of my pregnancy. During my bedrest, I decided to play and sing the song: “You’ll Be Blessed” by Elton John. I played it four times a day, one song for each baby, until they were born.

This was our first tradition.

One day a year we celebrated “BIG!” Our parties included family, friends, neighbors and classmates.

My favorite birthday theme was the “Fantastic Four” as each of the kids featured as a super hero with movie style posters.

Our other traditions include the special plate for dessert. We go to the same breakfast restaurant each year.

We read cards aloud and now, as the quadruplets are adults, we have a special toast of champagne with affirmations and reflections for each one individually with their vision for the coming year.

Everyone gets to be celebrated. We have realized it is a gift to be celebrated and it is a gift to celebrate others.

As a young girl, our birthdays were a focused time of love and gifts and time together. I grew up thinking that was the norm. I learned how to pass along the traditions to my children as we created our own unique ways to make birthdays special and memorable.

I find joy in celebrating others. I also know many people have never been celebrated and may have not experienced how it feels to wholeheartedly celebrate others.

In our seemingly fast paced world, it is challenging to slow down, take a breath and celebrate.

So, I keep watch for those who may need a special moment and see it as an opportunity to create more legacy in our world.

It is worth it, knowing that it is a legacy that will live on in the lives of not only my four children and their future families, but to other souls as well.

They will be blessed.

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26