By Mom
For twenty years, one of my favorite parts of having children has been throwing birthday parties for them. I have heard people say, “Oh, it’s just another day.” I never wanted my children to think of their birthdays as “just another day.” I wanted them to know this is a special day because we loved them, and that the Lord brought them into the world for a specific reason, His purpose.
When the kids were younger, I would go all-out for their birthdays. I would come up with a theme, and everything was planned around that theme, the decorations, the food, the games, and even the cake. As the kids got older, doing a theme became a lot of work and expensive. So, I lessened the load by not doing themes. However, I never stopped making the cake. Growing up, my dad would make me a special cake for my birthday. His thoughtfulness and creativity were special to me. My birthday is close to Easter, so most of my cakes were covered with Peeps and Jellybeans. (A dentist nightmare!!)
Today, we would be celebrating Hannah’s twentieth birthday. I’ve thought, “What would Hannah have asked her cake to be this year?” Well, I believe she would have asked for an ice cream cake with blue moon ice cream. So, I went ahead and made an ice cream cake with blue moon and cookie dough ice cream. This weekend has been tough with the memories of Hannah. A year ago, we had the privilege of having one of her friends over for the weekend. Hannah’s final weekend began with dinner out with Grandma and Grandpa Housley for her birthday. Then on Saturday, we spent the day up at her favorite ministry, Bearing Precious Seed. Sunday was a full day at church, saying goodbye to her friend, and ending her time at home with a favorite meal, cake, ice cream, and a game. As I walked Hannah out to her car, the Lord put on my heart to give her a big hug and tell her that I am proud of her and that I love her. Hannah was not a touchy person. So, I figured she was not going to respond too well with me hugging her, but I didn’t care. I grabbed her and pulled her close. I told her in her ear how proud I was of her and that I loved her very much. To my surprise, Hannah wrapped her arms around me, hugged me tight, and said I love you, too. My heart just melted. That was my final hug and precious moment I had with Hannah, and I will never forget it. Thank you, Lord, for giving me that priceless memory!
To my darling Hannah, “Happy first birthday in heaven!” We love and miss you! One day we will be together again, and oh what a day that will be!!
We are blessed.
Hannah Helps 