Renee Chou: Celebrating a happy birthday with a full cup of love

I’ve reached an age where birthdays aren’t all that exciting to me anymore. It’s not that I dread them. But an upcoming birthday tends to make me feel a little depressed, thinking about how much time has gone by and how I keep getting older. (Let’s just say I’ve celebrated my 29th birthday for well over a decade now!)

But to my four year old, my birthday on Feb. 3 was one of the most exciting events -- so exciting that a few days before the big day, when I picked Elsa up from preschool, her eyes started to tear up as we walked to the car. Surprised, I asked, “What’s wrong, sweetie?” She says to me, “Mommy, I’m crying happy tears because I’m so excited that it’s almost your birthday!”

For days ahead, Elsa talked about the surprises she had in store for my birthday. I tried dropping a few hints, such as “Mommy would LOVE to sleep in on her birthday! How about not waking up super early so Mommy can rest?” She looked at me like I was crazy and said, “No, we have a lot of fun things we need to do. We HAVE to wake up early!” So much for planting that seed.

At times I would catch her whispering something into my husband's ear about what she wanted to do. “What are you two talking about?” I asked. “Your birthday,” she replied. I mentioned that we could just go out for a nice family dinner. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Mommy! Shhh! Don't say anything! I've got this!"

It was fun to see her in party planner mode. She would be in her playroom and I’d walk in to see what she was doing. “Don’t look, Mommy! I’m working on your surprise!”

The non-milestone birthday finally arrived. Elsa was the first to wish me a happy birthday by running into our room at 6:17 a.m. Then she informed me that I wasn't allowed downstairs because she and her daddy were going to bake a birthday cake. No problem! I could sleep in a little bit more!

I drifted off to sleep for a bit. When I woke up, I ventured downstairs, where my husband was preparing a delicious breakfast. Elsa was "assisting." As I sat down to waffles, fresh fruit, bacon and a potato hash, Elsa asked me how everything tasted. "Delicious!" She flashed me a bright smile. "It should be, because it was made with love."

After breakfast, Elsa was ready to reveal her surprises. She had two gift bags and a red gift box for me. She found them in a closet and selected tissue paper to go with them. Inside the bags and box -- 12 scraps of paper, all handwritten drawings or notes. They read, “Happy Birthday! Love Elsa.” Or “To Mom: I love you. Love, Elsa.” The drawings had hearts, flowers, balloons, and rainbows.

I was touched to feel so much love from this little girl. Her desire to make me happy; her excitement to plan a few surprises; her wish to create a present I could open that came from the heart—all on her own—made the day so memorable.

As I blew out the candle on my homemade birthday cake—made with the secret ingredient of love, I was in awe of Elsa’s thoughtfulness. As a mom, it was easy to dismiss the birthday as “just another day.” How lucky I am that my daughter wanted to make sure it wasn’t just any other day.

Her ability to make the day special was such a gift. Yes, I’m another year older. But it also means looking forward to another year of fun surprises and moments, thanks to a girl who really knows how to make this old lady feel special.