Don’t forget your fan club
Now’s your chance to regift the love
From their 1st birthdays until they turned 18, we hosted a family birthday party for each of our three children every year.
That’s 54 parties. And when I look through the treasure trove of photos from those parties, I am a little blown away by how willing our relatives and friends were to cheerfully and consistently show up.
They came bearing gifts, oohed and aahed while the girls opened their presents, helped wrangle other party-goers if the kids’ party was the same day, sang the obligatory happy birthday tune, and occasionally wore party hats.
Every fall, we subjected them to three parties within the span of 3 months because that’s when the girls’ birthdays fell, but the birthday party MVPs showed up without fail for each and every one.
At one of the parties, in addition to the obligatory cake shot, I also took photos of the partygoers who came to rejoice. I love the photo because it captures the most loyal fan club they’ll ever have.
That’s dedication. That’s love. It’s rare to have such a physical manifestation of appreciation for the simple fact that you exist.
Perhaps you were also graced by people who were there to celebrate your birthdays and special occasions during your childhood.
At the time, I imagine your parents probably coached you to thank those friends and relatives for the gifts you received. Maybe you even thanked them for coming to your party.
Even today, you probably feel a sense of gratitude that your loved ones honored you by being there at all those parties and occasions.
You know what would make this even better? Acknowledging the people who showed up for you before you were even old enough to fully appreciate having a built-in fan club. Think of it as regifting the love.
It doesn’t need to be a grand gesture. Send them a birthday card. Give them a phone call. Send them a postcard the next time you’re on vacation. Stop by for a brief visit the next time you’re in town.
If your fan club is getting up there in years, they may not get out as much anymore, so they’ll especially appreciate the human contact.
And no matter how old they are, they will appreciate the warm feeling that comes from knowing that someone thought of them.
It’s the least you can do. And it will probably make you feel pretty good too.