Prior to reading this blog, I encourage you to read the Disclaimer, if you haven't already.
All birthdays are special for children....and even some adults...
But for my son, Elisha, his 5th birthday will always be my favorite...
We didn't do anything out of the ordinary...
On the Saturday 9/9/17, prior to his actual birthday, we had some friends and family over. We had cake and games, a hayride and boiled peanuts....a fun filled farm birthday.
Oh my goodness! It was so much fun! But the party and the fun wasn't what made 5 my favorite birthday...
As we prepared for at least outer bands of Hurricane Irma here in Northwest Florida, Cuba, Miami, and other parts of our state were devastated by flooding, horrible winds, and unimaginable wreckage. We watched the news and tracked the storm and tried to explain to our sons how hurricanes form and the devastation they can bring. We made a plan for our home and ourselves in the days leading up to Elisha's 5th birthday, the day we were expected to receive rain and wind from Hurricane Irma.
And I listened to Elisha pray at night.... He prayed about the "big storm." He prayed for God to take away the big storm so it didn't hurt anyone or their pets. (such an animal lover!)
Wow! Those prayers were so big from such a little guy! And as much as those prayers touched me....they weren't what made 5 my favorite.
On Elisha's actual birthday, September 11, the actual day itself was relatively "unbirthday". We began by having leftover birthday cake for breakfast...because why the heck not? :) The cake was specially prepared by our beloved friend, Miss Stephanie, so of course it is always the best.
As we ate our cake, we watched the reading of the names of the September 11 attacks at Ground Zero. My husband and I have spoke of these often and it's something I have stressed as an important day in our country's history and one I remember vividly. We've explained that Mommy was a junior in high school and Daddy was a solider in the Army at the time. There is something somber and breathtaking, even for children who weren't even born yet, as they watched clips and photos of that day. The marveled at the Ground Zero memorial and pat my handed soothingly as tears came to my eyes as they rang a bell and called for a moment of silence commemorating the moments of the times the planes hit the towers.
Elisha calmly asked why those "bad guys" wanted to knock down that building....and why didn't Daddy just stop them since he was a solider?
Oh my heart! I love that your Daddy is the biggest and best to you right now and that you recognize a "bad guy" and intense situation when you see one.... but that isn't what makes 5 my favorite.....
After cake and 9/11 remembrance and some playing at home....off we went to see Nana, lunch, and to see Elisha's godfather, Brian, aka Big Tonka, who wasn't able to come to the party. After all this, we went to the store, where Elisha and Wesleigh helped us pick up some soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, hygiene items, and games, puzzles, and books for some folks from the South Florida area who were staying at the church we've been attending.
Oh how carefully you chose those items Elisha! Making sure that you had things for girls and boys and men and women. No one would be left out from your cart. After careful selection, we purchased our items, and delivered them to the people at our church. Elisha has faithfully told this event to several people and each time my heart swells with pride that he is starting to develop an understanding of what it means to truly be a servant and show Gods Love. And while, as a parent, this is an ultimate goal, and one I pray about frequently....this isn't what makes 5 my favorite.
No... none of these amazing and wonderful things are the reason that 5 will always be my favorite...
The reason 5 will always be my favorite is because he was here for 5.
It takes my breath away...still... to think that 4 could have been his last birthday. And yes, we spend alot of time focusing on the positive, especially to the public.... but oh there have been rough days and nights! There has been physical pain, emotional pain, and even the dreaded phantom pains since the accident....and I've even felt like I caused some of that frustration by my own depression and dealing with the trauma of the whole situation. At times, I've chosen to express my feelings through writing, which in turn drove some people to be hateful and shunning of our family, which in turn effected all of us in some way....and there are close family and true friends who have seen this....but in general, for Elisha's sake and his supporters, we have chosen to share and advocate the positive with the situation.
But he has made it. And he does SO WELL. He is amazing part of my perfectly imperfect family....
And no matter how many birthdays we celebrate, how many cards or gifts he gets or doesn't get, how many tasty cakes we have..... even if my Little Tonka lives well into his hundreds.....
5 will always always always be my favorite!
Happy 5th birthday my sweet not-so-baby-anymore boy, Elisha!
