Molly treats birthday’s like I’ve never seen anyone treat birthday’s before. When it’s her own she goes around doing her best to emulate her 5 year old self, tugging on everybody’s shirts, going out of her way to make it known.
This year we even got a rental car upgrade because of it. A subtle, “Oh, um, and it’s my birthday…” did the trick. The rental car employee responded by giving us what he deemed the “fun car”. I smiled and slid my hand behind my back at the counter to give Molly an incognito high five.
Now when it’s someone else’s birthday nothing changes. She’s not selfish or bias with her birthday cheer. If a complete stranger told Molly it was their birthday she would stop whatever she was doing, and what everybody else was doing, probably whip up some funfetti birthday cupcakes (of course with sprinkles), and throw that stranger the best dang party they’ve ever had.
She believes wholeheartedly a birthday in itself is a gift, and the anniversary of your life should be celebrated to its fullest.
MOLLY’S STICKY NOTES
The past couple of years on my birthday she wakes up early, writes tiny affirmations on sticky notes and places them around the house before I wake up. She puts them in places she’ll know I’ll go. She has studied me, paying attention to my daily routines, what I do, and what I hold most dear.
There’s a sticky note on the bathroom mirror, the coffee maker, in the refrigerator, the dog food, my journal, my computer, the garage gym, and almost every door in the house. I think the only reason she doesn’t cover the entire house is because she simply runs out of sticky notes.
Molly turns my birthday into an all day celebration with surprises around every corner, in every moment, even when she isn’t there to see my reaction. She acts out of love knowing that it will bring a smile to my face, and a sense of knowing that I am loved unconditionally.
WHAT’S GOD’S GIFT?
I will say, each year is a surprise even though I’ve grown to look for these sticky notes. I’m well aware on my birthday to be cognizant about the little gifts and moments.
It shouldn’t just be on my birthday though. And no, on every other day Molly doesn’t go out of her way to cover my life with love letter sticky notes, but God does. He leaves surprises in our everyday routines and around every corner. He turns everyday, not just birthdays, into celebrations.
And what I’ve found over time is I’m not always looking for the blessings in my life. Sometimes I get so busy with my head down, working hard towards the next thing. The next item on the to-do list. The next goal or achievement. The next day.
Sometimes we forget to make our lives and our relationship with God sacred, and really work to understand that the good and most perfect gifts are being giving to us on a daily basis. We forget that life itself is a gift and should be celebrated, and everything else that happens is just a bonus.
The sticky notes. The small blessings. The engagements, actions, and mystery of life that offers new perspective. The grace that He gives us when we forget about our blessings. These are the surprise gifts that your parents kept hidden in the closet, the best presents they wanted us to open last.
God isn’t hiding these gifts though. They are always in plain sight.
Molly’s sticky notes have taught me to look for God’s sticky notes. To slow down and look for the smallest blessings that surround me in each moment. The ones that surprise me around every corner. The ones that make it well known that God loves me unconditionally. The ones that make me realize that my life right now is more than enough and should be celebrated.
