From Cake to Candles to Quiet Reflection

The other day was my birthday.

Birthdays are weird, aren’t they?

Sometimes they come with big expectations — a party, presents, people making a fuss.

Growing up, my parents were great at throwing simple, low-cost parties in the garden. We played games, ate little sandwiches and small cakes, and always had a big cake with candles to blow out. Friends brought presents, which we opened later, after everyone had gone — because it wasn’t really about the gifts. It was just fun. My dad even had this silly trick where we’d all try to blow his hat off his head — and somehow, it worked every time. (Still wondering about that trick...).

Now that I’m older, birthdays feel different.The seasons of life shift how we mark the day.

In your twenties, it might be a wild costume party that stretches late into the night.As a young parent, you’re just hoping to stay awake long enough to cut the cake.When your kids get older, you teach them how to celebrate you — with breakfast in bed or a handmade card.

Then comes the empty nest. Your kids are off living their own lives. You’re still working hard, and birthdays can feel a bit muted, even overlooked. Now we’re entering this next stage: grandkids, long-standing friendships, and birthdays that begin to feel like real milestones again.

But at its core, a birthday is simple — it’s the anniversary of your birth.

The day new life came into the world.

The day you began.

And that’s what matters most.Yes, celebrations are fun. Yes, presents are lovely. But the truest celebration starts within.

Celebrate the fact that you are here. Alive. Still breathing.So many don’t make it to your age — whether that’s 7, 27, or 87. But you did.

And that means something.

So take a moment to honor that.

You have life.

You have purpose.

God still has plans for you on this earth (whether you are 11, 21 or 91).

Now go out and enjoy it.

No really. I mean it. Go enjoy it!