“For it is in giving
that we receive.” 
Francis of Assisi 

It was one of the sweetest experiences of my life. It was my 68th birthday, June 4, 2022. Our kids and their families came over for a barbecue. Tom, Steve, and Brendan did all the cooking. As is so often the case these days, the food was delicious. After dinner, we enjoyed a homemade birthday cake — yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I could not have asked for a better day.

One of the challenges of celebrating someone’s 68th birthday is finding an appropriate gift. I struggled with this issue when my own parents’ birthdays came around year after year. What do we get for someone who has everything he needs already? We all know, of course, that a gift is not necessary, yet we have a desire to give something to the person we love. So yes, I received a couple of gifts, but none more memorable than what I received from my granddaughter, Emily.

Emily is Tom and Hillaray’s second child, and today is her birthday. She turns six today. Try as I might, I know that whatever Kathy and I get for Emily’s birthday gift this year will pale in comparison to what she gave me last June. 

When the leftovers were put away, the dishes were in the dishwasher, and the wrapping paper from the few gifts I received tucked away in the trash, Emily walked up to me holding a little coin purse. She opened it deliberately and took out a folded-up one dollar bill.

“Happy Birthday, Papa!” she said gleefully.

“Emily, you don’t have to do this,” I assured her.

“I know, Papa, but I want to give this to you for your birthday.”

One dollar. It may as well have been $1,000. I was incredibly overwhelmed with gratitude… and love. For the past nine months, that dollar bill has been securely stored in a special place in my home office. It is so much more than just a dollar bill, and it’s worth so much more than a buck! Every time I see that currency, I am reminded of Emily’s smile and the genuine kindness in her eyes when she presented it to me on my birthday last year. I have no intention of ever spending it. It truly is priceless.

Today, as I mentioned, is Emily’s birthday. It’s a school day for her, and with her after-school activities and homework, I’m pretty sure I won’t have the opportunity to see her today. Fortunately, we had a nice visit at our home this past Saturday afternoon. I wished her Happy Birthday, but I didn’t mention the dollar bill. At the age of six, I don’t think she can possibly understand how much that gift meant to me.

Some day, she will.