I imagine for many women that brings depression over what they haven’t accomplished; a reminder of the additional lines that rudely appeared on their faces this past year; and plans to just ignore the day all together.
I don’t have that luxury. Not with the Pretty Ladies leading the way.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Pretty Ladies are my amazing women folk. We call ourselves the Pretty Ladies because we enjoy “the pretty.” Membership is more a state of mind than anything official, yet it does have some challenging demands, especially around birthday time.
As her special day approaches, each Pretty Lady is expected to say how she wants to be celebrated and create her Birthday Wish List. The list can include anything, though they tend to be a combination of stuff, moments you’d like to create in the next year, and personal and professional goals.
It felt like my list was coming rather easily this year: Plenty of white birthday cake with white icing from the supermarket — truly one of God’s finest creations. Some “stuff,” like a new flat screen TV and new dishes, would be nice. A family trip celebrating my Mom’s upcoming 75th birthday should be included. And, if my beau, “Mr. SummerFest,” wants to whisk me off to a getaway — uh, Babe, my things are packed.
All that came easily, and yet something was missing. Couldn’t put my finger on it, so I called Kate Atwood. She’s one of the younger, hipper Ladies and really knows how to get creative. She was only 12 when she lost her mom to breast cancer. That sad little girl grew up to create Kate’s Club, an organization for kids who have lost a parent or sibling. She’s all about creating different, positive experiences, even from tragedy.
Not that my birthday was tragic, but I did need some help. “Working on the birthday wish list,” I told her. “Any ideas?”
“Have you thought about giving it away?” she asked.
“Giving it away?” I repeated. Talk about throwing the car into reverse. “I thought birthdays were about getting.”
“Oh, you’ll get,” Kate assured me. “You’ll get double the joy when you use your birthday to raise money for a favorite cause. We’ll still celebrate and gift you, but wait until you see how much joy you get out of making an impact.”
Kate told me about a website called FirstGiving.com that makes it all really easy. Five minutes later, my personal page was up, and I was in the business of giving away my birthday.
I picked Hekima Place, a home for orphaned girls just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. It was started by another favorite Kate of mine, Kate Fletcher, a woman well into her 70s who shows me constantly that it’s never too late to give back.
I visited Hekima Place at the end of 2008 and fell in love with the girls, the staff and the purpose — giving a loving family and education to girls who have lost parents to HIV/AIDS.
For my big birthday giveaway, I’m suggesting donations that are any multiple of 26, the day of the month my birthday falls on.
Talk about fun! Who has time to be bummed about a birthday when I’m busy daydreaming about all the good my special day will inspire? Clothes, medicine and books for the girls in Kenya? It’s even better than thinking about the possibility of pretty new dishes or a new TV. Who would want to skip that kind of opportunity? Bring on the birthday!
Something tells me you or someone you know has a birthday coming up this year. To quote Kate Atwood, “Have you thought about giving it away?” I highly recommend it. What better use of your birthday wish than making someone else’s dreams come true?
Daryn Kagan is the creator and host of DarynKagan.com, an online community that features a daily Web cast of inspirational stories. The former CNN anchor and news reporter is the author of “What’s Possible! 50 True Stories of People Who Dared To Dream They Could Make a Difference.”
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