Love Looks Like a Birthday Cake

Last year, during a Mercy Night visit, Ben and Michael told us that their birthdays were that coming Sunday and Tuesday, so we decided to bake them cakes and bring them out on Tuesday.  When we found Ben that day, after he blew out his candles, he said, “I don’t remember the last time I celebrated my birthday.”  He was turning 33.

Since then there have been various birthdays: DJ received a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for his 36th birthday, Tim a chocolate cherry cheesecake for his 40th, Michael the artist a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting for his 34th, Kiwi a red velvet cake decorated with kiwis for her 29th, Riley a giant chocolate peanut butter cookie “cake” for his 25th, River a giant macadamia nut heath bar bits cookie cake with vanilla frosting for her 37th.  Troy has an order in for a cherry chip cake with Funfetti frosting, Rider an order for a strawberry topped cheesecake, Manic and Utah each a German chocolate cake, Kate a plain cheesecake topped with chocolate.

“You remembered!”  That’s what DJ said, his brown eyes sparkling.  “This is my favorite!”  River said it made her feel really special. 

For the most part, our friends are largely forgotten by family and friends who would normally remember the detail of a birthday and celebrate them and their life.  So having someone remember and care enough to make a cake says loudly to them that they are loved and that their life is worth celebrating, that it is good that they exist.

And it is good that they exist.  Each one of them is a beloved child of God the Father, loved so much that Jesus died for them on Calvary.  Each one of them has a treasure hidden in his or her heart, and we have the joyous mission of discovering that treasure and helping them to discover it, too.  We tell them they are beloved by God.  We show them our love for them in our conversations, our prayer, our way of treating them. 

And on their birthdays, we bake them a cake, break out the “Happy Birthday” napkins, and sing “Happy Birthday” to them.  Because sometimes love looks like a homemade birthday cake.

~Sister Teresa