Celebrating a birthday is a time-honoured ritual. It is a day to recognize our birth, and the ongoing biographical journey we undertake. It can be a time for reflection on the growth and change we have experienced over the past 365 days and perhaps, to make adjustments to our course. It can be a time to peer through the looking glass into the future. A birthday can act as our own personal ‘New Year’; a time to set goals for our dreams, quietly and unobtrusively.
We try to create something more meaningful for children. A birthday celebration acknowledges that the child has willingly entered into this life contract with a preconceived purpose. It then becomes a chance to give support to and give gratitude to this brave individual as they navigate through the ups and downs of life. It is also a chance for us to see beyond the outer exterior of a person and fish a little deeper.
In every way the celebrations were a simple recognition of our ‘birth-to-earth’ day and the fact that we all as spiritual beings with an individual soul “come from the stars”. A crown and cape worn by the child for the entire morning highlighted the fact that the child was King or Queen for the day. Teachers adapted the rainbow bridge birthday story and made the story their own to adapt to their children.
