“What is your name, 41?” …a classic line we use from time to time with Bryan, stolen from one of his favorite movies, “Ben Hur” with Charlton Heston. Now, it’s apropos. He turned 41 on Friday, the 13th, and his Grandma, whom he celebrated with, turned 101. Such a bond they share, though sixty years apart!

Bryan had a tough decision to make this birthday. He had a Special Olympics Track and Field Meet over his birthday weekend, when we were going to travel to western Pennsylvania to celebrate my mom’s birthday. We were honest with him and told him that the decision was entirely his to make. He loves his track meets, loves the medals, loves the competition, and loves being with his track buds. He also loves being with his family.

After mulling this conundrum over for a few days, he told me, “I choose my family”. I secretly thought “Good for you, buddy! Family is THE most important thing.”

We we all gathered at my brother’s home for a delicious feast after which I brought out the dense, gooey German Chocolate cake, mom’s favorite. Happy Birthday was sung, and the Birthday Buds blew out the candles in unison.

It never gets old. Celebrating time with family is the most precious gift of all. Who knows if there will be any more shared birthday times? All I know is that we should enjoy the moment to it’s fullest and not worry about what’s to come tomorrow. (Matthew 6:34)

And that’s just what we did!