18th Birthday Cake (after the first cut)

Happy Birthday to You.
Happy Birthday to You.
Happy Birthday Dear C.
Happy Birthday to You.

Went to a Birthday Party by Ferry, not quite island hoping, but almost Orkney-like.

I don’t know what you the reader remembers most about Birthday Parties(?), but for me, we often wish to take pictures of who attended, of the spread that took many hours to plan and prepare, before it is devoured by the invited guests, while the family holds back, looking on in dismay as all the egg sandwiches disappear!

(One of my ex-girlfriend’s family had a favourite saying, “FHB”. It took me a while to cotton on... For some reason I thought they were saying, “FAB”, which for many, may remember it from Thunderbirds. Ah, my misspent youth watching Thunderbirds, week by week. FHB, opps, FAB!)

Parties are often judged these days, by, did you enjoy the food, was there enough to drink, what was the weather like (more of a summer question really). Who came? Did we get on with them, and who was that couple - did you know them? Equally, parties can be a place where you can meet some really interesting people and catch up with friends and family.

I could name all the people who came to Your Birthday Party to celebrate Your belated 18th. It was a lovely sunny day and we all needed to sit in the shade. The gathered guests were all the important people who could make it on a lovely lazy Sunday afternoon. Thank goodness I was on sabbatical, however, even if was not, we would have been late, but we would have made it.

Special birthdays only come ‘round once and it is important to go all out to be there to celebrate them! We were there for you, because the ‘A’ level exams are over and you are about to start the longest summer holiday you are ever likely to have. You will also be starting new chapters too, like going to university, being able to vote, walking into pubs and clubs, and you are now officially an adult!

Being an adult does come with some strings attached. If you work and earn enough, you will be paying the tax man, in time. Voting is important, because women died and went to prison so, you could vote. Your career is out there, so, don’t be held back by, “glass-ceiling thinking”. Wisdom comes with knowledge and experience, by the time you are 21 (in my day you got to vote, and the key to the door, never mind getting into pubs and clubs) you will start to know something of wisdom, but it is also a lifetime of gathering experience and gaining knowledge.

Even though you might not want to hear/read this, your parents do have wisdom, because they have knowledge and experience by the bucket load. This in time will be the same for you.

This is why I photographed the two-thirds eaten Birthday Cake, because it was evidently enjoyed by all who had some; they marveled before it was cut; they watch your Dad light and relight the candles; they watched you blow, and blow, and blow some more, to get them out. We watched you cut the cake, making the first slice is always important and you did that today!

Thank you for inviting us to Your 18th Birthday Party, we would not have missed this for the world, or for the church, because like it, or not, you are special and you have gifts that God wants you to use. May God bless you in your life experiences and in the knowledge that you gather throughout your life, so that your wisdom can be shared with others you meet.