Happy Birthday

Living at a hostel with about seventy children for six months just about guarantees that I will celebrate more than a few birthdays with them. I've made an effort to help make their birthday special by making each birthday boy/girl a Rainbow Loom bracelet using their favorite colors. In Semmandakuppam, the birthday traditions at school are as follows. The child gets to wear their new "birthday dress" to school and their parents give them enough candy ("chocolates") to share at school with their friends and teachers. Getting to wear a birthday outfit (or something they already own if their parents don't buy them a new dress) is special because all of the children, no matter their school, wear uniforms.



Yesterday, I got to celebrate one of my best friend's birthdays, Madesh. I was SO happy to be here to celebrate his birthday with him. Madesh is studying XI standard and turned 17 on January 27th. He has lived at the hostel now for seven years. His mother cultivates watermelons and his father doesn't work due to leg pain he has from a previous accident that he was involved in. Madesh is such a responsible young man with a smile that could light up anyone's day no matter what kind of day they're having. He is a great leader to the younger boys at the hostel and is a wonderful role model for them. He is also an awesome cricket, volleyball, football and kickball player. Madesh is an all-around awesome kid.

I started off his day by singing to him with all of the hostel children after devotion and giving him his red-and-white bracelet. He was thrilled. That evening, I went to give Madesh a pack of gum as an additional birthday gift. When I caught up with him, he handed me a small chocolate bar, saying "Here's my birthday chocolate for you. Take it, Aunty." When I asked him where he got it, he told me he bought it at his school canteen. It was such a selfless act that it just blew me away. Here it is, his birthday, and he spends 10 rupees at school to buy ME a chocolate bar in order to celebrate HIS birthday. It put it into perspective for me just how special these kids are and how much love they have to share.

One part of Madesh's birthday that made my heart ache was that his mother nor father ever came to see him that day. Keep in mind that Madesh doesn't live with his family; he lives at a hostel. This means that he sees his parents about six times a year for a couple of hours on parents meeting days at the hostel, in addition to the one and a half months that the children spend at their homes for the summer holidays. His parents couldn't take twenty minutes out of their day to come and see their only son (Madesh is an only child) on his birthday. It broke my heart because their son is absolutely incredible. I would be SO fortunate if one day God blessed me with a son like Madesh. How could his parents not make an effort to come and at least see their son on his birthday?

In America, there are parents that spend THOUSANDS of dollars on their children's birthday parties. They have to buy the matching cups, plates, silverware, tablecloths, giftwrap, banners...all stuff that gets thrown in the trash. There are children who, if they only get a few small gifts, throw huge temper tantrums because really more is better isn't it? Have you ever seen that show on MTV called, "My Super Sweet 16?" That just about sums up the extent to which Americans will go to celebrate "ME." If you haven't seen it, don't bother wasting your time. It's enough to make your skin crawl.

Madesh taugh me a couple of things on his birthday. He taught me to always put others before yourself, no matter the circumstances. He taught me to smile through everything because there really are bigger obstacles you could be going through. I'm so happy to celebrate the birthday of such an incredible young man. I pray that he follows the Lord's plan for his life because I know God has great things in store for Madesh. Happy birthday, Madesh. <3