Celebrating a Birthday in a Plague Year

I have been known to say, "I have a summer birthday.  Early on, kids with summer birthdays know to bring down their expectations."  I remember feeling left out because there would be no cupcakes brought to my classmates, the main way we celebrated back in the early 70's.  Looking back, I realize it presupposes a mom home to bake those cupcakes, as there weren't bakeries in grocery stores the way that there are now.  Later Kristin would be appalled at Early Kristin assuming that there would be a mom not only making cupcakes but having time and transportation to bring them to the school.

All of this is backstory, so that when I say I had a blah birthday, you won't feel too badly for me.  For decades now, I expect a blah birthday, so I usually get a blah birthday.  I usually make no plans--after all, my birthday is usually on a work day.  And why would I burn up a vacation day on a birthday?  For years, all of my friends would be working too--why take a vacation day to sit home alone?

This year I'm in the epicenter of our current pandemic, so I'm certainly wouldn't plan to go out to dinner.  I couldn't even bring myself to go out and buy a birthday treat.  My birthday dinner of salmon and broccoli was O.K., but it's not an unusual meal for us.

But let me remember some of the good parts of my birthday, even in the midst of a pandemic year.

--Yesterday afternoon, I made this Facebook post:

"Just a typical birthday: taking temperatures of everyone arriving on campus, asking CDC health questions about possible exposure, grading papers, going out to whichever restaurant has the best free dessert if if's your birthday.

So, it's not so typical.

But here's a great birthday present! Rescinded is the heinous, vicious policy about international students needing to leave the country if their campus goes all online."

--I really am happy about the reversal of that policy.  If I got nothing else for my birthday, that social justice gift would be enough.  It won't impact my school; we aren't allowed to enroll international students at my campus.  But it will improve/save the lives of so many international students, and that's such a piece of good news in a world that seems short of good news.

--I was also happy about all the birthday wishes that came my way on my Facebook feed.  Friends I haven't heard from, well, since last birthday, wished me a happy birthday.  I realize that most of them sent the message when Facebook prompted them to do it, but that's fine with me.  Some friends sent me a more personalized message, which was really touching.

--I got my work done for my sermon video for this Sunday, which is an interesting mix of video, poem, parable, and sermon.  That made me happy.

--And then, this morning, two colleagues who overheard me on the phone with my parents yesterday brought in a coffee cake and an orchid.  I was touched beyond all measure.