Friday, September 4, 2009

Birthday Angels, Celebrating the Self

Check out www.birthday-angels.org. The original angel behind this deliciously pure project, Ruthie Sobel Luttenberg, celebrated her own birthday today with a board meeting of the people who make the magical Birthday Angels process a reality. It's sweet to think of a child who wouldn't otherwise have had birthday cake and a dance or two, receiving these from a donor in Canada or the states, perhaps from a Bat Mitzvah girl who chose Birthday Angels as her mitzvah project. But the Birthday Angels party kit isn't about cake. Each game in the kit celebrates the uniqueness and specialness of the birthday child. A small example is The Wishing Tree:
"You can really count your birthday blessings as you pick them off The Wishing Tree which is covered in leaves the children have filled in with their blessings and good wishes for the Birthday Child.

The Birthday Child later picks the leaves off the tree trying to guess who wrote them the blessing. and, get this… The Birthday Child has to say what s/he has to do to make it happen.

For example: when s/he picks a leaf that says:
"I hope you live till 120"
The Birthday Child translates that into concrete terms and says:
"I'll eat less junk food and do more sports"

This way the Birthday Child gets to think PROACTIVELY about his/her own life. S/he not only thinks what everyone can do for him/her, but what s/he can do for him/herself to make his/her dreams come true."
Here's to the blossoming of each of us, our sense of self, and our sense of direction. And here's to my aunt Sharon Enkin, who has dedicated such love to the project. And here's to Ruthie, with wishes for a happy, proud birthday and a sweet and productive year.

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