The Joy of a Birthday

June 12^th is my 12^th birthday.  Well, not really.  This year, June 12^th marks the 12^th anniversary of my bone marrow transplant at Georgetown Hospital.  Thinking about this anniversary led me to thinking about birthdays in general and then about my daughter’s 6^th birthday this fall.  Children’s birthday parties are hard to plan. You need to consider the season, the weather, the temperament of the children, and of course, the type of cake. I love children, but the idea inviting a handful of five & six year olds to my house to run around and do crafts (aka make a mess)? No, not so much.

Last year my daughter did not have a “party.” We took a few girls to see The Princess and the Frog and then went for ice cream.  We struck a deal with my daughter that every other year, she could have a party.  On the off years, the celebration would be smaller.  I digress, back to this being the party year.  

In the midst of all this thinking (yes, I am aware that it is a bit early to be planning a November birthday), I came across the Pepsi Refresh Project- where Pepsi gives away funding for local community based ventures based on the results of an on-line vote.  This led me to “Brightening Birthdays.”  Brightening Birthdays was developed by a Georgetown University business student, Marcy Humphrey to make it possible for children and teens to have birthday parties while in the hospital.  I was struck by the simplicity of this project, and the far-reaching impact that a birthday celebration could have on a child that is hospital bound on their big day.

I spent a lot of time in the hospital in 1998: about two weeks at Virginia Hospital Center and then several more at Georgetown Hospital just a few months later.  I am not a picky person (mostly), but food is a big deal to me.  I won't lie, I like good food- really good food.  Hospital food, though not horrible, is just NOT gourmet.  Friends brought me Frappucino’s and frozen dinners because I refused to eat the hospital food.  (I think it is funny that frozen dinners were more appealing than fresh food!). My family and friends did everything they could to make my stay more “bearable” making my stay, not so bad.  

Having my own daughter, the idea of her spending prolonged time in the hospital is scary. But it happens. It happens to children of all ages.  Some families are able to turn the hospital room into a home away from home. Others cannot.  But when it is your child’s birthday?  Sometimes the energy it takes to get party materials together is just too much for a family dealing with a sick child.

As much energy as it takes, every child deserves to celebrate their special day.  It may not be a decadent party, it may be limited to just a few people, but celebrating the life and hope that each child brings to this world:  that is a must. It is a must especially when hope and optimism are hard to muster.  The truth is that our children are often the inspiration for hope. The light in their eyes or the joy in their smiles makes everything else brighter. 

Hospital stays after all, are not vacations.  Even under the best of circumstances, there is fear. There is uncertainty.  And so, the thought of bringing joy to children on their special day- directly into their hospital room? Talk about perspective when trying to plan my daughter’s birthday.

This is an original DC Metro Moms post

When not voting for Brightening Birthdays or planning parties, Elena is documenting her daughter’s joyful adventures at A Day in the Life.