If nothing else, a birthday is a chance to show someone just how much you love him or her. Through words. Through quality time. Through gift-giving. And despite my worry about my own birthday every year, I really enjoy other birthdays.
Last Friday, Andrew turned 29. He is not one to make a fuss over his birthday. Every time I asked what he wanted to do, he flipped the question back to me: “Melanie, what do you want to do?” This is the kind of person Andrew is.
It would be the second birthday I’ve known him for — last year, I cooked dinner, a feat in and of itself. But I wanted this year’s celebration to be even more special.
“I’m nervous for tonight,” I told Courtney, my team member, on Thursday afternoon. “I just want it to go well.”
She looked up from her computer screen. “You can’t put all that pressure on one dinner. Just relax. Enjoy it, and let go!”
I prayed on the way to the restaurant on Thursday night, asking God to just take care of everything. And He did! We dined on the best steak in the city at Bavette’s, made banana bread (Andrew’s mom gave me the recipe), went on a sunny run around the West Loop, listened to the most important message at the Simply Jesus conference, ate Jade Dragon and birthday cake with my family, walked around downtown Hinsdale, and then topped it all off with scallops and salmon at Fig & Olive.
I am so thankful for Andrew, on his birthday and on normal days. It was a joy to celebrate him, and I can’t wait for the next one.
