you read that right. another birthday. a 28th birthday was celebrated in all its glory yesterday for my husband. birthdays are really big in my book. i mean REALLY big in my book. i love celebrating birthdays because it's the one day (or week or month depending on how you look at it) that feel really special just because it's your day.
when i was pregnant with xander and found out that my due date was actually our anniversary, september 5th, i prayed that xander would be an august baby, because i knew that sam's birthday was september 3rd and our anniversary followed very close. i didn't want xander to have to share his day with anything. however, sam wanted xander to be born on his birthday because he kind of looked at it as the ultimate birthday present. so even though xander was born about a week early, sam still considered xander his early birthday present.
taken hours after xander was born.
my sister and i have birthdays that are 3 days apart. growing up, we mostly celebrated our birthdays together and we still do. i love my sister very much but sometimes i just wanted it to be my day to do whatever i wanted. so i vowed that i would always make my kids and husband's birthday a big deal when i had a family.
so you can see why i prayed so hard that xander would at least come in august.
all that to say yesterday was probably one of the best birthdays that i have ever thrown for sam. obviously, right now money is pretty tight but i was insistent that we celebrate in some way. so, yesterday morning, we all just laid around and relaxed, later took a trip to trader joe's, and then last night had close friends and family over for taco night and cupcakes. it was an amazing time and i think sam really enjoyed it.
here comes the lesson about community.
we have been learning about what God really intends community to look like. yes, its being around people who uplift and encourage and hold you accountable but its more about deep relationships. last night the Lord showed me that there is a responsibility that comes with community...we are responsible for authenticity and transparency. even when it's uncomfortable and hurts. even when we can barely get through complete sentences because of the flood of tears. only then can we experience unity and intimacy with each other. once we reach true intimacy in our friendships, then we are aware of the needs around us and we hear how the spirit wants us to respond.
sam and i have been praying for these moments. moments where we feel truly connected but moments where we can be honest and open about what's going on in our lives and know that we have people that we can turn to for support, prayer, and accountability. some of those deep things i feel like i can share here but some of those things i know can only been shared late at night sitting around with friends that we consider to be more than friends. this year i am so thankful for the friendships that we have made in the last few months and even those friendships that are still to be developed.
Read this the other day in book called Packing Light and thought of it as I read your post. "It isn't until we are honest about who we really are, and what we are really feeling, that we give others a chance to show us how brave they think we are. It isn't until we believe in ourselves to do something radical that we invite others to believe with us. And it isn't until those we trust tell us we are trustworthy and brave that we actually realize how trustworthy and brave we really are. The best of ideas usually happen this way - all together, in a quiet, messy, community leap." Kristen this post is beautiful! You're an amazing writer and I'm glad I'm finding that out. We love yall and def consider the Holmes family.
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