How do you make your child's birthday memorable? There are many things we do for our kids to have fun memories of their birthday parties, and we all hope that they will remember. It was a bit disheartening, when we discussed past birthdays in our home recently. No one remembered the Dalmation party with human "dog treats"-- pretzel sticks or the other doggy treats served from clean/new dog dishes. And then there was a great confusion as to who had the party with the 10 inflatable jungle animals and green streamers flowing throughout the house.

Now I realize that the efforts I put into making those parties special was not wasted. The smile on the kids faces that day made it all worth while. I would do it all over again. And while they may not remember every detail...I'll just remind them with pictures. But this does raise an interesting question. What are you doing to pass on a lasting memory of your child's birthday?

I thought I might pass along an idea that I started when my children were babies. Each year on their birthday, I write a letter to that child. I mention things that are special about them. I talk about physical traits and character traits that will be fun to read about later. If there were any significant events that happened that year (like a child receiving Christ) or silly events (like things they say that make us laugh) I might mention those. I also talk a little bit about their personalities and how I relate with them. I want to create a vivid picture of who they were at that particular age.

I keep this file on my computer, and each year I just add another page to the file labeled "Carter's Birthday Letters", or whichever child it is. I also print a copy to put in a book that they can keep. I imagine them reading about themselves when they are older and laughing at the silly little things they did at each age. I also envision them having a very clear understanding of the depths of my love for them.

Whether reading about the day I first held them in my arms and kissed their tiny little hands or reading about how it felt to watch them make a basket and have the crowd cheer...I don't question that the stories they read will be a lasting and loving memory.

 

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