A Birthday to Remember

Birthdays have always been a big deal in our house. Don’t hear me wrong. I said BIRTHDAYS…not parties! Lol. No matter if we just had our family over or a party with friends, the most important part of the birthday was my mom taking a picture of us with our cake! (She's a scrapbook fanatic...it's all about the picture!)

Well, this birthday meant a little more to me than those in the past. When you think about it, there’s more than just your life that is born. Your purpose is born, too. One of our family scriptures that we hold to is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the plans I have for you…” Birthdays are meant to be special. And for me, I always wanted a really big party. If there was ever a year to celebrate life and purpose, it was this year--My Sweet 16!!

After deciding that I could have a big party, my mom gave me the idea of having a Tiffany and Company theme. It sounded cool, and I love the color, so Tiffany it was! The next step was planning it out, and where else to start but PINTEREST! My Aunt Stacy, Bernie, a close-family friend, and my mom started planning several months before..pinning things to my board left and right. After having meetings of what our final plans would be (yes, we had planning meetings..lol) we had a plan! And if anyone knows my mom, we started working on everything at least a month before the big day!

The night of the party came out amazing…so many lights, decorations, and people! As people kept showing up, I couldn’t help but be grateful. Although I wish I could have had everyone there that I know, 100 people was overwhelming enough. My life was being celebrated by so many people that love me and who prayed for me and who have been such a big part of who I am today. I think I had a permanent smile on my face. The whole night was planned perfect. We had finger foods, a candy bar, and cupcakes. We played BINGO, karaoke, and a game of how well did they know me. My favorite parts were the slideshow my mom made of my life and of course, the dancing! I loved the dancing!

This birthday was very different from those in the past. It went far beyond my annual picture with my cake! I am so grateful of how much time, money, and work my family put into this very special day for me. I know they could see how happy it made me, but I want to personally thank them and let them know how much it really meant to me. I will never forget this birthday—not just because it was my Sweet 16, but because it was a day to celebrate another year that God has given me to live through. It’s almost as if my life was my gift from God, and it’s by far the best gift ever!

Birthdays should be special for everyone. It’s the day that a purpose was born—a day that a gift was given to the world. Just know that you do have a purpose. Every day is a gift. Don’t look at situations or circumstances—they don’t define your purpose..they push you towards your purpose. Life is a gift. Make the most of it! And always remember to DANCE!