I went out and celebrated with my friend Ana Patricia this evening. It didn't start out as a celebration. It started out as just a dinner with old friends. But it turned into a celebration because there was a candle on our table.
That logic may seem strange to you, as it would have to me earlier this evening. I have since been enlightened however by my good friend Ana. You see just about three weeks ago, Ana Patricia had a birthday (which was only her third one ever and so still very exciting). The week after that her uncle had a birthday and then last week, her mother. At everyone of the many celebrations for those three closely spaced birthdays, they had cake and the cake had candles. And they sang. Now for Ana Patricia this translates into a very simple formula. cake = birthday and celebration with singing. Also, candle = birthday and celebration with singing.
So imagine her delight when we were seated at a table with a candle!
Before she even sat down, she made her mother hold the candle so that she could blow it out. And then she sang the birthday song to herself, by herself. And so she could really relish the moment and because both English and Spanish seem natural to her, she sang both the english birthday song and the spanish birthday song (which is not the english version translated but an entirely different, somewhat longer song).
And we all clapped! And then a little bit later, we repeated the process again only this time we sang with her and she waited to blow out the candle until we were all done singing. Just like it was on a cake.
A little while later, her parents and I had gotten a bit boring what with our conversation and eating and all. Plus, she really wanted to dance but only if Mom would dance with her. And while Ana Patricia, at 3, finds it perfectly acceptable to stand up in the middle of a restaurant and dance when the music makes you feel like it, her mother finds it a little less so. So while we all agreed that she could dance if she wanted to, none of us were jumping out of our seats to join her. BORING!
So, she asked her father to light the candle again and she had another little celebration all by herself (complete with the singing of both songs) and blew out the candle.
Three birthdays for her just in one little dinner.
That's what I love about 3 year olds. They really know how to celebrate.
Gracias a Ana Patricia para el celebracion! I am grateful that she reminded me to celebrate the little things in life that make us happy!
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