I’ve been thinking about the triplet’s 5th birthday, pretty much since they were born. For whatever reason, I had decided that five-years-old is the magic birthday. I was sure it was the age they’d first really understand the significance of having a birthday, especially a party, with all the extras! The birthday party I imagined was going to cost a small fortune. I easily justified that in my own mind. There are three of them. That’s what I told myself over and over, every time I added another over-the-top idea to my birthday party “plan.” It turns out, I was right about FIVE being the magic number. “Mommy! Are we five yet?” was the first thing I heard yesterday morning, shouted out in unison from the triplet’s bedroom, with notable excitement from all three. I smiled. That was a magic moment. This was the first year they ever anxiously awaited a birthday, knew when the day came, and even made requests for birthday presents that don’t actually exist; like a “Batmobile” they could fly to visit Santa Claus and park in the living room. Our no birthday party celebration was better than the biggest all frills and thrills party I ever could have imagined! It was easy. It was fun. It was calm. It was happy. It was full of moments. My family, friends, and readers know I’m super sentimental. I find joy in intellectually stimulating conversation and give deep thought to the hidden meanings in life. I especially love to find humor in life’s moments of irony. Something you might not know is that I make a point of not going to that place with the big Cheesy dude, if I can all help it! So, where did we end up on Enrique, Andres, & Kaitlyn’s birthday?
So, even though we had a no party birthday celebration, I’m still a good mom! The whole party I’d imagined for forever was all about me anyway. Aside from the batmobile request, the kids had not asked for ANY of the things I had previously planned to include in their big party. They were my ideas. Maybe that’s not true. If I really think about it, they were the world’s ideas. I have an entire career centered around social media. I share thoughts, ideas, and creations that influence others to do what I’m doing. I hope that anyone who actually does what I’m doing, never feels pressure to “keep up.” I hope, if people use my ideas it’s because it will bring some value to their day, week, or overall life, but not because of some subconscious desire to live a pinterest-worthy life. If I’m honest with you, and I want to be, there is a side of me you rarely see. Often, my life is mundane, regular, boring, bland, and certainly not pinterest-worthy. So I too, sometimes feel the pressure to live a pinnable life. I guess that’s why I had such big ideas for my triplet’s 5th birthday. They didn’t want any of those things. They didn’t need them. It was awesome to have a day of spontaneity and fun, as a family. I wasn’t worried about RSVPs, the perfect $700.00 triplet cake that would taste exactly like what it was; a cake made days in advance. I wasn’t tied to some 2-hour time frame for a party I’d spend all my time as hostess and none of it as mom. I didn’t have to worry about making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. I got to enjoy myself, with my babies! (Okay, not really babies anymore.) We went with the flow of the day. I found a lot of inner peace as I celebrated the lives of my biggest blessings. The day before their birthday, my Facebook feed was fuller than normal of awful things. You name it. I saw it. Murder. Death. Mourning. Hate. Envy. Malice. And especially, heartache. It made my own heart ache. While life will always be full of sad things, it is often fuller of happy moments, if we only open our eyes to what’s right in front of us. The only thing we can count on in life is this exact moment in time. Yesterday, I took in every beautiful moment, as they occurred.
It might have been nice to get a clear picture of the brotherly fun happening between Enrique & Andres. But, you know what? I captured that moment in my heart and I can see it clear as diamonds.
Have you ever had a no birthday party celebration? What was your favorite part? We’d love for you to share your experience with us!
By: Alicia Gonzalez
