Happiest Birthday

Well, it's 5:45 on the first day of my last year of my 30s. As usual, I can't sleep in, so I thought I would write a quick blog update.

Barbara had a great birthday yesterday. We had breakfast at McDonalds, then I went to work. Coming home we had dinner, went to the temple where we ate cupcakes on the grounds (I think the temple is one of Barbara's favorite places to go), and then opened presents. She loved it but did not want to go to bed.

Today is grad day. I will be saying goodbye to a good group of kids. There are a more than a few have impacted my life in special ways, and like each year I will moss them. This morning I was thinking about birthdays. The question often is asked "Which was your favorite birthday?". While birthdays with Heather and the girls are always great, and birthdays as a kid growing up with my family are up there, there is one birthday that just edges them all out. That happened in 2008.

It was my last few days in Thunderchild. It was also the day of graduation. I had been alone (except for Annie) for just over two months. My first wife was long gone and reality was sinking in. So there I was, at the lowest point in my life, wondering what to do for my birthday when I really didn't want to move forward with anything. I was not in the mood to celebrate anything, let alone getting older, so I decided I would not celebrate.

I woke up and made breakfast. My dad called to wish me a happy birthday and that was the only phone call I received that day. I let the machine get all the other calls. I kept the computer off so I would not read any emails or Facebook posts that might be birthday related. I went to the school and started asking people what they needed help with. One of the teachers asked if I would want to collect some willow branches for the three students who were graduating (yes, that is my record, three students at a grad ceremony). He suggested that as part of this ritual I should think about these three young men as I prepared the branches for the ceremony. These were three good, upstanding young men and I was happy yo provide this service to them. I continued helping other teachers organize for grad and get ready for the summer. I packed a few things up in my room so I could vacate it (I was moving to Calgary in a couple weeks). At the grad ceremony I was asked to give the toast to the students, which was indeed an honor for me. At the end of the day I went home with only one colleague discovering that today was my birthday.

So why was this the best birthday? It was because the only gift I received was one of the most precious ones. I received a sense of peace, of hope, and of fulfillment. I learned that the best and truest way to make one happy lies not in what others do for you, but in what you do for others. When you serve others without any thought about what you will receive in return you will feel amazing. It brought me out of deep dark hole and allowed me to enjoy the sunlight. It is still something that I feel strongly these several years later.

I do not share this story to say "Look at me! Didn't I do something amazing?". In fact I debated whether or not to share this story at all because I did not want to have people think that I am some sort of wisdom guru. This is something that I had been taught all of my life by parents, teachers, and others who are far wiser than myself. no, instead I post this to offer up a challenge. I challenge you to make a birthday where you do not receive any presents, have a party, or even let people know it's your birthday. Instead, use that day to only serve others. Make it about them. I can assure you that it will be one of the best days of your life.