Today was my dad’s 90th birthday! As morning started, we were a bit concerned because he wasn’t feeling so well. But, after sleeping a little longer, he felt normal and was ready to start the day. We had decorated the place with balloons and a banner with his photo. One of the neighbors came over with another balloon and chocolates – his favorites. Many other neighbors had dropped off cards over the last couple of days. My dad spent almost an hour opening them and reading the heartfelt messages. My aunt sent a beautiful basket of flowers. He received cards in the mail, messages on the phone and on social media. One of my sisters’ made a surprise trip and sat on the porch to visit “social distancing” style. We had a whole family Zoom session where everyone got a chance to individually wish a happy birthday and we did our best to sing all together. One of my brothers’ got a video message from Jonathan Frakes who played Commander Riker on Star Trek the Next Generation. My dad is a huge fan and that was probably the highlight of his day. We picked up dinner from his favorite German restaurant. And I made his favorite angel food that turned out perfectly due to the fact that I had taken notes last year. My dad and mom reminisced about the good life they have lived. By the end of the day, we were all pretty tired, but in a good way. This is not how we anticipated celebrating this year and my mom remarked that it certainly was different from any other parties we have had before. But it was still full of family, fun, food, and plenty of love. As I consider the past few years and months, I am grateful that my brother, mom, and I are here and mostly that my dad is here to celebrate this milestone.

I Found God today celebrating my dad’s 90th birthday.