Heart Made Happy Birthdays

In honor of what would have been my mom's birthday today, I'd like to share some heart made birthday ideas that can make them so memorable for those you love.

At some point, my mom used to put Post-It notes all over the house on our birthdays. I would wake up and see them everywhere I turned. From my bedroom, to the bathroom, to going into the kitchen and making my cup of coffee and walking out the door, a little note from my mom that said happy birthday. I smiled every note I found. But I know as happy as those notes made me, my mom was so excited doing it, so filled with love. Reading between the lines and knowing that every note meant "I love you". I can imagine her sitting down, writing our little notes and thinking about nothing but me. I can imagine her beautiful smile as she was putting them up all over the house knowing this simple little note was going to make her children happy. I can't look at yellow Post-It note without smiling in my heart.

On our birthday, there was always a home made cake, actually there was always home made cake in our house! On our birthdays we got to pick our favorite. When my niece Irene was two, my mom baked a few cakes and told her she could do whatever she wanted with two them, they were hers. She could stick her tiny little fingers in the cakes and lick the icing off, she could have the all the icing and not eat the cake, she could smash them, she could smooch it in someone's face, whatever she wanted. Irene, who was the center of attention being the only grandchild at the time, often sat on the dining room table entertaining us so she was right up close to these cakes. She was beaming! I don't think she even knew what to do at first. Wait a minute, I can stick my fingers in the cake? Who tells a kid that they can do that to their birthday cake? How many kids do you know that just want to stick their fingers in and taste the icing, only eat the icing? All of them!

Irene doesn't remember that day as she was so young, but she has seen pictures, she has heard the story many times and tells it now herself. Irene called her mother's mom Grandma and my mom was Grandma Cake. I guess that birthday was the start of that endearing nickname. I bet Irene can't look at a cake, taste a cake or even hear the word "cake" without thinking of her Grandma Cake.

Years ago I worked for an attorney named Lori. She was a mom and also a wonderful photographer. She had a lot of pictures of her work in her office. Before she was a mom, there were lots of nature shots but after her son Sam was born, everything was Sam and she really took some interesting shots. She loved to take pictures of him from behind, loved to see the little shape of his shoulders as he sat in the sand, or the back of head, and the little wrinkles babies have on their necks. As he got older those pictures also captured some moments better than the ones of his face. I don't know if you agree, but I haven't met a kid who doesn't ham it up and love having their picture taken. And as beautiful as these children we love are, their smiles are forced and you're not catching a true smile, a real moment. I love taking pictures of the kids when they don't know, well not just kids, anyone. It's great when you take just one picture and capture so much more.

For Sam's birthdays, Lori took pictures of Sam, first each month, and then after 2 years old, on his actual birthday. Each picture she made a little sign that said "I'm 1 Month Old Today" or "I'm 1 Years Old Today", etc., etc., etc. When Sam looks at those pictures as an adult I hope he reads between the lines, I hope he sees the photographer behind those pictures, the love his mother had, celebrating her time with him more than counting his birthdays.

Below are pictures from one of my birthdays. I love the look on my niece Jessie's face. She's tickled pink with the unconventional birthday cake. That silly banana cake made my birthday special. Jessie was thinking about me, she was sharing my laughter, my happiness, it's what made my birthday and these pictures memorable.

So simple, so easy.
You don't have to buy it in a store and what you get back from it you can't buy in a store.

Happy Birthday to you if today is your birthday and a very Merry Unbirthday to all the rest!