"Birthdays remind us that what is important is not what we do or accomplish, not what we have or who we know, but that we are, here and now. On birthdays let us be grateful for the gift of life," the great spiritual writer and teacher Henri J. M. Nouwen wrote. Catholic nun Macrina Wiederkehr celebrates her birth date once a month and makes it special by giving a gift to someone else. There are a variety of ways to make the most of birthdays, and this spiffy children's book offers plenty of examples.
Percy Isaac Gifford is a big-hearted and playful fellow who knows just what is needed to spruce up birthday rituals that may have lost their meaning. The narrator wants us to think of him as "the birthday boy" and so he is. He encourages you to let your happiness shine through on a day that is "all about you," to wear a big smile, and gather up your friends and family, and let the games begin.
He adds that it's important to say "thank you" to everybody who has helped you make your birthday special. Best of all is his wise counsel he offers via a poem: that you make your birthday as a "starting point, a whole new year to discover life's possibilities."
