July 4 is my birthday, and I plan it very carefully. Having been at sleepaway camps for much of my youth, my summertime birthday often got glossed over. So, as an adult, I carefully construct my day to be everything I want it to be. (Note the underlying lesson here…)
Among the festivities for my celebration was a birthday breakfast with s special group of friends. I’m lucky that the world is “off” on my birthday every year. I get very good attendance. I chose to have the breakfast at Sticks and Stones Farm which I’d written about a few weeks ago. I was totally charmed by the facility and loved the rustic quality and totally unplugged feeling you get when you’re there. I didn’t want any distractions from the celebrant.
The chef at Sticks and Stones is Annie Stiefel. The breakfast was sumptuous, organic and colorful as well. I can’t say enough about the overall experience. Annie emailed me the next day to find out if everything was okay and was there anything to be improved. She wanted to know.
I wrote her back a rave review and that I was reminded of something my very first evaluator said to me after my Icebreaker Speech in Toastmasters. I had prepared and rehearsed a million times. I took my entry into the public speaking arena very seriously. Every evaluator in Toastmasters is charged with the mission of praising what you did well and offering one or two areas to improve upon. “I do have some criticisms to offer Jane, but it’s like picking fleas off a gnat’s ass.”
That was in 1993 and I never forgot the way he put his disclaimer, even though I have forgotten what he told me to work on. It surely made it easier to hear, and I couldn’t wait to sign up for my next speech. I told Annie the same story. The overall experience was one I’ll always treasure, and the minor details that might be improved upon can wait.
Happy Birthday Jane! So happy to hear it was wonderful.
I too carefully plan my birthday as it is just days before Christmas. My childhood birthdays were not only glossed over, I had to clean the house, set the table and get everything ready for the holidays!
When I lived in the city and was still single, at the beginning of December I would send out invitations to all of my friends to a local bar for drinks for the night of my birthday. In lieu of gifts (what did I need?), I would ask everyone to pick up a letter to Santa from the main post office in New York City. Each person (including me) would fulfill the wish list of the child in the letter and then during our night out we would talk about these heart-wrenching letters. Usually, children would ask for the most practical things – socks for their moms, a winter coat for their siblings, a new pair of jeans. It was the most uplifting way to usher in a new year for me and the holidays overall. I will never forget it!
@Catherine
Amazing the number of lives you impacted with your generosity! I love how you engaged your friends and enrolled them in this sweet activity of giving. Thanks for sharing this.
I love birthdays! My birthday is St. Patrick’s Day, so I always loved the fact that everyone was having a parade that day!
As an adult, I still treasure my special day. One year I had the idea to invite my favorite girlfriends to come and celebrate my birthday with me–there were 10 of us invited, and I was the only person who knew anyone else there. The year was 1995, and we’ve been getting together each year ever since. We lost one friend along the way to breast cancer; another friend joined our group. I look forward to our special day all year. No gifts allowed…just laughter and heartfelt thanks.
Happy Birthday, Jane.
@Terry
Funny that it’s us women with birthdays linked to holidays that are most excited about our special days. Thanks for this, Terry. I’ll think of you next March 17th for sure.
Jane – I’m catching up on my blog reading and wanted to wish you a very happy, although belated birthday. And, thanks for the reminder of a good lesson — if you want something, plan for it.
@Miriam
Thank you!
I see that you’re speaking at the BlogHer conference. I’m attending and really look forward to meeting you in the flesh.