Every year on our children's birthdays we make note of their first and lasts of the year. The last year at home, the first year of school; the last "baba", the first pizza; the last time in the high chair, the first time in the big boy chair; the last free summer, the first job.
Every year at every time of life we celebrate these firsts and lasts. But most of all we celebrate our children's births, their official entry into the world. How could the world have gotten by without them? How did we ever do so? Of course we need to celebrate.
Martin's birthday is this week. On January 20 Martin will turn 5 years old. Wow, a whole handful! (For the unitiated, this means you hold up all the fingers on your hand to show how old you are, a whole hand full of fingers.)
What a year of firsts and lasts for Martin. He does not know it yet, but this is the first year that a mommy and daddy will rejoice in the fact that he was born! Consider that astounding fact. For the first time in his life, Martin has parents doing everything they can to bring him our of an institution and into their home. What a first!
And a last, what a blessed last, the last birthday alone, living in an orphanage, without a family. This year, Martin will not even know it is his birthday.
But next year. Cake, hats, presents, Mommy and Daddy, brothers and sister, friends and family. With all those people singing happy birthday dear Martin, and urging him to blow out the candles, with parties at home and in school, Martin will not be able to escape knowing it is his birthday.
We may not be able to speed the coming of that happy day, but we can provide financial support to Martin's family so they can bring him home as quickly as possible, so he has a few more weeks or months to learn what it means to be a cherished son, a valued member of his family and community, a few more weeks to learn what a birthday is, before he turns 6.
This is Martin's last birthday without a family, will you be the first to contribute and help to bring him home?
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