There was a knock on the door at 8:00 a.m. yesterday, causing a coffee-making father and a pajama-clad mother to jump a bit. We do, after all, live in the country, and we don't usually have drop-in visitors at all, let alone at 8:00 a.m. Well, it was the Fed Ex man with a large, green box in his arms. The box was clearly marked "floral", and it was addressed to a sleeping beauty in the downstairs bedroom. Not coincidentally, it was the sixteenth birthday of this young woman, so we were overflowing with curiosity about the sender of the box. We gently woke her, planted a birthday kiss on her forehead, and handed her the big, green box. Her eyes grew big; she carefully opened the box, unwrapped two bunches of multi-colored miniature roses, and found the card. Sent by the dearest kind of friends in the world (this one, this one and this one), it was the perfect beginning to a beautiful day.
Dutch babies, sibling presents, emails, phone calls and notes from friends and family far away, the day began with outpourings of love and admiration.
Just before lunch, I took her over to the nursery; her grandmother's gift was for her to be able to pick out two plants for her herb garden. She chose a jasmine and, yes, a climbing rose.
Mid-afternoon, a family of dear friends came to wish the birthday girl well, complete with a chocolate bundt cake in the shape of a castle. Add a dusting of powdered sugar on that chocolate cake, and you have a picturesque taste treat. Their beautiful smiles and hugs kept the love flowing as we moved toward evening.
Late in the afternoon, friends arrived with a beautiful white rose, balloons and a gift. The gift was two creamy white tea cups with gold rims and a tin of tea: Tea at the Empress. Oh, is there a story behind that tea tin! My dear daughter has a terrible time coming up with gift ideas, and she finally joked: "Why don't we go to the Empress Hotel in Victoria and have high tea, just you, Daddy and me?" We aren't the "fly off to _________ for the birthday" kind of budget around here, but I had to agree with her. It would be the perfect spot to celebrate an occasion with her. I shared the idea with a friend, and since we weren't able to actually go and play high tea together, she somehow found a tin of tea from The Empress Hotel and included it in the gift. My daughter was teary-eyed as she set out the cups and tin. What thoughtfulness was represented in that gift.
In lieu of flying away to the northern tea party lands, we decided to go out to dinner. Our daughter, who deeply loves being the oldest of five children, every now and then has been known to suggest: "Let's play only child." So, last night we took off, just the three of us. We had a fine dinner and spent some time at the bookstore choosing just the right birthday book for a sixteenth birthday: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.
Our birthday girl is bright, serious, deep-thinking, careful and thoughtful. She always has a read-aloud going with her younger siblings (currently Little Men), she makes cakes for her Boy Scout brothers as they achieve advancements, and constantly finds ways to bring happiness and beauty to our lives. I believe even Mr. Darcy himself would find it hard to say she is less than an accomplished woman.
How grateful I am that, from beginning to end, my daughter felt enveloped in a robe of warmth and appreciation on her sixteenth birthday. I could not have done it on my own. Our many friends and dear family made a huge contribution: her age mates, her younger "fan club", her mother's friends whom she enjoys as friends, all joined together to remind this beautiful young woman that she is special and that she has made a big difference in the lives of many.
Happy birthday, dear girl! I love you so.
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