The small celebrations Extra-Ordinary Birthdays host each month are always filled with smiles and laughter as we play games, open gifts and enjoy yummy treats. 

However, I recently found myself smiling and laughing way before the festivities started. I giggled as I decorated the table and hung banners. My smile rivaled the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland as I took a selfie by the banner. I even called my brother.  Why? 

It was a party for Jerome.

The opportunity to host Jerome’s party touched my heart in a very special way.  You see, Jerome is not only the name of the child that celebrated his first birthday in July; it’s also the name of my older brother, who celebrated his birthday the previous week. 

I was amused that their shared name (which, in all honesty, I thought lost its popularity by 1983). I also got a kick out of seeing the other similarities the two Jeromes shared. Like my little party-goer, my brother also enjoys cars and wore a huge afro as a toddler.

Hosting Jerome’s party gave me joy for another reason: it reminded me of some of the best moments of  my childhood. I grew up in a very humble working-class family with parents who earned too much to live in public housing, but not enough for the suburbs.  My brothers and I did not have big birthday bashes. 

What we were blessed to have, though, was a mother who made sure that we had our own individual homemade cake and a gift each year. These small celebrations were important to us.  

Our home parties meant that we would be recognized by the people who love us, and our individual preferences would be considered. The extra bonus was that we would have more than the one birthday sheet cake that we shared during our our occasional big family dinners, where multiple cousins who were born the same month were celebrated with us.  (I have four cousins born within days of me, so imagine the September cake!) 

Anyway, Jerome usually had a chocolate cake, while I was usually going to have a chocolate cake or punchbowl cake with strawberries; and my younger brother, Carl, was probably going to blow out my candles before I made my wish. Our birthday celebrations changed as we got older, but we could always count on my mom putting in the effort to recognize our special day with a cake and a gift that met our needs and desires. 

This is just one of the reasons why I love volunteering for Extra-Ordinary  Birthdays. Our celebrations may be small, but they are always significant for the children who receive them. When a child sees their name on a banner, coloring sheets, or personalized decorations, they know that they too are worthy of being celebrated..and having their very own cake.

By Keiana Greene-Page