A BIG Birthday – making it special

Hey Dad,

Thursday is Abe’s big thirteenth birthday. He’s a little concerned because he thinks we’re traveling to a speaking engagement in MI. Little does he know that we’re going to a big waterpark in Sandusky, OH.

We’ve always make birthdays a big deal…but the thirteenth birthday is extra special because it marks the passage from child to adulthood…or something like that. In the past we’ve done everything from camping out on a WW II submarine with a bunch of boys and dads to something a lot quieter and more intimate with family.

I’ve planned out meaningful ceremonies and awarded honking big swords to my men. For Katherine, I wasn’t even involved…just her mom and she went to Chicago to get her ears pierced.

The more I think about it…I’m not sure the elaborately planned “meaningful times” are the part that is most impacting. Although I’ve  know some dads who do some incredible things. The part I think is so impacting is the fact that parents would go to all the effort to show their son or daughter how special they are to them.

So… on Thursday we’ll show Abe just that. We’ll play hard as we slip and slide…we’ll have a little ceremony of how much he has given our family just by being…and then we’ll challenge him to be the man. To top it off we’ll present him with an amazing sword. His eyes will bug out and although he may never remember our charge, he’ll never forget that day at the water park with his family.

That’s powerful and why we go to all the effort…and why should as well.

You ‘da dad,

Todd