Just as we celebrated our nation’s 247th birthday, summer keeps many busy and also tends to be a busy time within our family for birthday celebrations.
Last month, we celebrated my son Chase’s birthday, and our beloved neighbor, Paul, also had a birthday.
Additionally, it was a time of remembrance and reflection, as my dad would have turned 100 years old on June 24.
July will also be a big month for birthday celebrations for our family, as my daughter, Madison, and my mom share the same birthday, July 17.
Mom’s will be special milestone, as she will turn 90. It’s incredible to consider how Mom has navigated this world over the past 90 years with grace, faith, gratitude, while being the world’s biggest encourager.
As our family began to prepare to celebrate Mom’s 90th birthday, I got to thinking about how such recognitions and celebrations must have evolved and changed over the past 90 years.
Birthday cards have been a staple of birthday celebrations in the United States since the late 1890s. They have evolved from the traditional paper cards, to musical cards and e-cards. The advent of social media has certainly impacted birthday cards as has the ability to simply send a quick wish online making it an easier and popular way to let someone know you are thinking of them on their special day.
One thing that has remained constant is the importance of celebrating the life and experiences of an individual while bringing family and friends together. Many families practice traditions that are passed down through generations, which have the ability to connect us to our past, present, and future selves.
The biggest change in that regard is the aspect of family dysfunction, which wasn’t a term in 1933. I’m sure it existed back then, but wasn’t put on grand display like it can be with the advent of social media.
Social media gets its criticism, and some of it is deserved. However, it has made it so much easier to convey birthday wishes to loved ones in your life, those you knew years earlier, or those friends you may have had a casual relationship with from childhood.
Every day, I check Facebook to see who is having a birthday. It’s fun being able to wish “Happy Birthday” to friends, former classmates or teachers, and acquaintances. Seeing their names brings back memories of past experiences.
According to a recent survey, the average parent spends approximately $400 on a birthday party for their child. This is definitely one of things that has changed significantly from the birthday parties of my youth.
Growing up, the constants for my celebrations were food, pop and a great cake. The size of my party varied, typically due to the whims of the early January weather, but Mom always had a fun cake prepared.
A Hazelcake, as we called them, because they were prepared by the legendary Hazel Gripka, were always a big hit with family and friends.
One year, it was unseasonably warm for early January, so Mom and Dad let me have a bunch of my buddies over for my birthday. What could go wrong when you turn loose a bunch of 10-yearold boys on the family farm on a warm January day?
Well, my dear friend, Kevin, decided a swim was in order on the 70-degree day, and he dove into one of the ponds on the farm. Thankfully, Kevin survived the encounter without suffering from hyperthermia. Also, thankfully for Mom and Dad, Kevin’s activity didn’t become one of my birthday party traditions.
If you are having a birthday this month, here’s a Happy Birthday wish for you.
I highly recommend that you don’t jump in a pond to celebrate. I’ve seen it in action and don’t recommend it, at least in early January.
Jon Horner is a local community bank president, published author, and motivational speaker. He can be reached at jonhorner77@gmail.com.
