I usually have an idea of what I would like to do for my birthday a couple months in advance. For some strange reason, I had no idea what I wanted to do for this year. Every time I tried thinking of something to do, it just didn’t feel right. When the restrictions started tightening in April I understood why: nobody would be able to do anything by June 14th, as everything would have been shut down.
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| Thanks to my neighbour I was able to get homemade starch mango ice cream though! |
Due to all but non-essential businesses being closed locally, many persons now found themselves without a source of income. In early June a fire destroyed a house in Carenage, resulting in two families losing everything and having no place to stay. Many families in St. Vincent and the Democratic Republic of Congo were displaced due to volcanoes in their respective countries. I decided that to celebrate my birthday this year, I would provide an opportunity for my supporters to give towards alleviating the suffering of some of these people.
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| Big thanks to Karissa for agreeing to design this flyer at the 99th hour for me ;) |
For the day of my birthday itself, I had the idea of preparing hot meals for 50 persons and distributing to persons in need. What I did not anticipate, however, was my father being diagnosed with covid-19 ten days before, so I would be in isolation at home on my birthday. Thankfully, my friends from ITNAC had a similar idea about cooking lunches for persons in need, so I asked them to take charge of the cooking, packing and distributing on my birthday and they did an exceptional job!
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| It tasted as good as it looked! |
Three days before my birthday, my father passed away. Even though my spirit and soul were at peace at his passing (check out my previous blog to see why) it seems like my body had not gotten the memo. I was able to function quite fine during the day, but when I went into my bed I just could not fall asleep no matter what I tried. In the wee hours of the morning on my birthday when I couldn't sleep, I messaged my friends in different time zones and two of them responded. It was so good to talk to my friends from Kenya and Norway and to have them pray for me, so when I actually went back to bed at 5.30am I was able to take a good, long sleep. When I woke up it was close to lunchtime so after spending my time with the Lord I skipped breakfast and headed straight for the lasagna Mummy made especially for me :)
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| Lasagna made with love |
My afternoon was filled with phone calls, video calls and messages of love from my friends and family that brought such joy and kept my spirits lifted. My friend did a cover of my favourite worship song in this season, and another friend's 5 year old son performed a drum solo for me while his father sang. I did some self-care as I dyed my hair and treated myself to a clay face mask and body scrub in a freshly scrubbed bathroom. Later on in the evening in the middle of a meeting I had with a committee from my church, my phone rang and the person simply said, "Come outside". When I went to my front gate, I was greeted by my friends who had cooked my birthday lunch, along with some other ITNAC members bearing a lovely bouquet of flowers, bake and shark, and 2 containers of food. It was a delightful surprise, especially knowing that they had been up early cooking, and then been on the road all day delivering food - it really warmed my heart.
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| These flowers brightened our dining room table for two weeks! |
I think this year's birthday broke the record for the most amount of desserts I received for a single birthday ever! It started the Saturday before my birthday with my sister friend bringing chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. Then on my birthday I got starch mango ice cream and pineapple cheesecake. That weekend my sister-in-law baked me a chocolate cake topped with M&Ms and Kitkats on top of chocolate icing. The following week my aunts and a cousin came to lunch bearing an almond sponge cake, mini cheesecakes and coconut sapodilla ice cream. A few weeks later my niece had a birthday party for me (complete with balloons and face painting) and we had carrot cake cupcakes and apple cinnamon ice cream. Let's just say it's a good thing we are now allowed to resume outdoor exercises!
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| All these cakes contributed to it being one of the sweetest birthdays ever |
Apart from covering the cost of the meals distributed on my birthday, some of the funds donated for my birthday project have been used to:
* Purchase grocery hampers
* Assist with the funeral expenses of someone who died from covid-19
* Support another distribution of cooked meals
* Purchase cazacs, towels and baby bags for expectant mothers
* Support one of the families who was rendered homeless after the fire
* Bless a father undergoing cancer treatment whose household's income was reduced due to covid restrictions
* Purchase food for families displaced by the volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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| Ten babies would benefit from the items purchased |
It was certainly a birthday with a difference. I thank God for the community I am surrounded with who He used to ensure that, in the midst of our sorrow, I was still able to be celebrated and enjoy my special day. Thanks so much to all who made it outstanding, not just on my actual birthday, but also on the days following. Thanks also to those who contributed financially towards my birthday project 2021. It would not have been a success without you!
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| Enjoying my birthday ice cream with my brother and his wife |
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