The Birthday Project

It is Birthday Season at our house. We celebrate a few birthdays in a row during the spring and summer. It is really fun! I have discovered some fun ways to celebrate birthdays that don't involve a lot of money or gifts. {that will come in a later post}

Most recently, I discovered  The Birthday Project . If you have not heard of the birthday project, it involves doing a number of random acts of kindness, that matches the age you are turning. How awesome would this be for kids? For us as adults? I know it is easy for us to get caught up in the monetary part of presents and gifts. My kids talk about what they want for their birthday for months before it actually happens and sometimes even make me a very lengthy list of the desired toys they would like for the occasion. And so do I sometimes- the trips I'd like to go on, the housing and decorating projects I would want completed, the sewing supplies, the new things I'd love to have, the bills I'd like to be paid off, the electronic devices we'd love to own, etc. etc. I don't think it matters how old we are, we all have wishes and dreams we'd like for our birthdays. BUT,  that is not how I want things to be in our house. Even though it is a birthday, we have been blessed. I need to teach my children more about giving and less about getting. The Birthday Project is a wonderful idea to do this.

We were recently invited to a 5 year old's birthday. Instead of presents, the young child is having everyone bring toys for a nearby orphanage. That is what The Birthday Project is all about.

Soon I will have a big birthday myself. While we have something fun planned for the family, I am going to get started on my own birthday project now. I don't think there could be a better way to live- than by happily doing acts of kindness for others without expecting anything in return. What better time to do it than a birthday.  Here is a short clip about what the Birthday Project is all about.