Commentary By Danielle Pelkey

The North Jefferson News



Today is my birthday.

I am of a rare breed of people who are still excited about their birthdays.

It’s a great day when you get to turn 25 years old, again. No, really I’m turning 27 years old today and I love it.

Birthdays are just a special day that marks yet another wonderful year that the Lord has granted you to live.

Remember when you were a kid and your birthday was the biggest and most exciting day of the year? Oh, I do.

I can remember my mom waking me up with waffles or something like that with a candle in them. That would just start the day off right.

It kinda stinks having a birthday in the summer, because I didn’t always get to see all of my friends and most were at work.

I can remember thinking, why do they have to work today? It’s my birthday, that’s a big deal!

I wanted everyone to get off work on July 25 and we could have a world-wide shopping day, or something to that extent.

As the years rolled on, the charm of my big day seemed to taper off. Few people cared and even fewer gifts were given.

In my family, we still have birthday parties for everyone, and I do mean everyone’s birthday — aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and kids all get their own birthday parties.

Of course, now the family is expanding and we’re trying to keep it down to one party per month.

I can remember my cousin getting upset because she stopped getting birthday parties years before I did.

I didn’t think I was privileged. I just thought that was how everyone did it.

Now that I’m married, Todd gets a little overwhelmed with all of the partying that goes on in the year.

I have given him permission to miss a few of the birthday parties, but he makes it a point to show up to just about all of them.

The Lord knows we have enough birthdays to share, but we choose this avenue to spend time with family and friends.

Don’t forget the food though. We’re American, so every get-together must have some good food and a great cake to finish it all up.

I can’t wait to celebrate my birthday with my family tomorrow night. The best gift of all will be just spending time with the ones that I love more than anything in the world.