My daughter has two children: a son and a daughter. They are very loved by my daughter and son-in-law, who make sure to give the kids a birthday party every year. Last year, they went on vacation overseas, so they missed giving their daughter a birthday party. Her birthday was on December 23. After they had returned, their busy schedule led to the postponement of their daughter’s party. Even two and a half months later, my daughter still made it a point to throw her a birthday party.
When I say a birthday party, it’s not just a mere gathering of children blowing out candles. Both my daughter and her husband will rent various venues, including the children’s museum in Pasadena (KidSpace), Amy’s Playground in South Pasadena, and West Coast Elite Gymnastics in Arcadia. She will decorate the venue with Barbie decorations for the girls and Minecraft decorations for the boys to take pictures with. She will invite every one of my granddaughter’s classmates and ensure that they all get party favors. I thought it would have been much more practical to save the money in a bank account for the kids than to throw it away at a party.
The picture is taken at Amy’s Playground in South Pasadena, CA
While I was watching the children at the party, looking at all of the children running around to play with the different gymnastics equipment, I could hear all of the children’s laughter, and I could see all of their smiles. In the end, one of the gym workers called upon the children to take pictures. A huge crowd of tiny kids rushed over. At that moment, I felt the air of joy, love, and warmth filled the whole gym. What a scene! Nothing could match the sight of those innocent smiling faces and their laughter. Wow, I was overwhelmed to sense the surfacing energy from these beautiful angels.
The picture is taken at KidSpace in Pasadena, CA
I recalled that I never had such a childhood experience. When I was young, I never had the same toys they did. I played with rocks down the river and soil that I could mold into shapes. But the interaction, the warmth, the love that my daughter created – I never had that in my childhood. All of a sudden, I realized she was making such an unforgettable moment for those children and parents. They could recollect these memories fondly when they were older. Suddenly, I understood that the money, effort and time she spent was worth it. She created happiness not just for her children, but also for those other 30 children.
The picture is taken at West Coast Elite Gymnastics in Arcadia, CA
I finally comprehended that you have to own happiness. How do you own it? It’s when you can give it out to others and share it with them. Later on, after I dropped off a worker, I was very touched by what he said: “After working two birthday parties for your family, I saw the existence of the perfect loving families, and I felt the love and warmth from them. Your daughter and her husband could never imagine how much I got from these birthday parties. The happiness they shared with others made up what I missed when I was young. It was such a blessing to be a part of this celebration.”
The effort my children displayed touched the young children. More importantly, it moved someone who never had that happiness before and made it up for them. I don’t think my children know that their tiny deed went such a long way, from the kids to me to the worker.
