Birthdays...

Birthdays have been my nemesis for years. A large family, overwhelmed and exhausted mama, and special needs kids that required more time and energy than anyone had available made planning birthdays stressful. Add to that the harsh reality that birthday parties cost money and we never have any extra; long story short... we haven't had elaborate birthday parties for a very long time. 

It hasn't been a big deal. Kids got to do fun stuff. We figured out other alternatives that worked, though I'm afraid my kids may have to over-compensate for their kids because of my failings. It was survival. And it seemed like we'd have plenty of birthdays left. 

Until we didn't.

Photo credit Siriani Photography. All rights reserved.

My mom went to Heaven before we got to celebrate her next birthday. She would have been 75. 

Photo credit Marchauna Rodgers. All rights reserved.

Maybe that sobering experience is why I'm so very thankful for today. It is my daughter, Makayla's, birthday. And amidst all the grief of my mother's sudden illness and untimely death, it is a precious treasure. It is a treasure we weren't sure we'd enjoy again in the days immediately following her diagnosis. Cancer has a way of stealing birthdays, and I think everyone expected her to have cancer. In fact, of the approximately 4600 children who will be diagnosed with a brain tumor this year, more than 4500 of them will have cancer. While you have a less than 1% chance of being diagnosed with a brain tumor in your lifetime, if you are, the odds are 98% that it will be cancer. 

Photo credit Marchauna Rodgers. All rights reserved.

By God's miraculous grace, Makayla does not have brain cancer. She is actually doing incredibly well, considering what she's been through. 

And she is here to celebrate her birthday!

Photo credit Siriani Photography. All rights reserved.

We still don't have much money. We're not planning a big party for Makayla. In fact, we haven't actually planned a party at all. Once again, we don't have capacity for that kind of celebration. She's enjoying a special lunch with her sister, making some precious memories with her cousin, but we're not throwing a big bash with balloons and candles. Instead, we're savoring this blessing, treasuring the gift of another birthday, and marveling that God has intervened in such a miraculous way for this precious daughter of ours.