Janie, Age 70
My birthday was Feb. 2nd. I wanted a surprise party! Alas, my husband is not a party person and even though I kept saying “all I want for my birthday is a surprise party,” it wasn’t to be. As the countdown was getting closer (4 days to THE BIG DAY) I was feeling very sorry for myself when I realized that on Saturday morning (4 days before the BIG DAY) I was having breakfast with 4 of my high school friends (50 years later and we all turn 70 within 2 months of each other!) and on Sunday (3 days before the BIG DAY) my family was getting together to look at slides of my children when they were growing up, and the actual day of my birthday was a once monthly business luncheon that just happened to be on MY BIG DAY.
Thinking about these three lovely parties made me pull up my big girl panties and quit feeling sorry for myself. I am blessed with lovely friends, family and a wonderful husband even if he doesn’t plan surprise parties! Just wait until this December when he turns 75!
I’ve given surprise birthday parties for my sister and husband, but like you, it just wasn’t going to happen in my case. So a month before I turned 70 I planned a party for myself. I invited my sister, our children, grandchildren and a few good friends to a local seafood restaurant on the beach (very casual) and had them serve fish tacos, lobster rolls and sliders with ice cream for dessert ( I hate cake). I introduced each of my nine wonderful grandchildren to my friends and introduced my friends to all of them so they’d know why they were so important to me. We had a great time, a lot of laughs and best of all, we took a family portrait- which was really the gift I wanted more than anything. It was my best party and I have the pictures for ever.
I love the image of you pulling up your big girl panties. Thank you soooo much for the Thursday morning chuckle. You are a role model!