Today is my son's birthday. He's 12. For those of you who knew me before
I was married, you might be asking 'where did the time go?'.
I'm asking myself that.
I know what the last 6 years have brought. We've been in PNG since
March 2007. Our son was 6 then. Now he's 12.
His birthday celebration is rather simple. We got him a used Wii game
that we had bought 2 years ago on furlough. NFL Madden 2007. Yeah, it's
not the latest nor the greatest. But he liked it.
He got an SF Giants cap. Although we can't get the games here, it
doesn't stop him from having a favorite team, and we did get to see the
World Series this last year!
Some friends are coming over, and they're going to watch the latest DVD
on center, "The Hobbit". I borrowed it from a friend who got it for his
birthday. It's a Hobbit themed party, and Kendal is making him a Hobbit
Hole birthday cake.
It's definitely 'home spun' and simple. There are no places to go to,
no real fancy gifts, but he loves it. He got to choose what we ate for
breakfast and dinner.
We like our simple celebrations, and although it lacks family and
friends from back home, it has its own special charm. The gifts are
rare, and simple. And my kids have grown up knowing the joy of a care
package, or the recognition of thought behind a gift rather than the
gift itself. They aren't exposed to English TV marketing and so their
expectations are low and often they are happy with whatever comes their way.
I think in living here, we have traded things that have little substance
with things that have great substance. Of course the biggest sacrifice,
is family and friends. And so, we allow ourselves to take a moment and
say 'next year, when we're on furlough, our birthday wil be with......"
And I absolutely love that my kids say 'with'.... and not 'at'. They
don't say 'it'll be AT funland and we'll ride go-carts'. They say
'it'll be with cousin Jake, and Grandpa, and....'
That to me, makes all the difference in the world.
