Marking Life’s Milestones
Posted on October 4, 2015 by bob in Features
Each birthday and anniversary is a special event, but let’s face it, some are a bit more noteworthy than others, particularly those that are decades in the making, like a 50th wedding anniversary, or a 90th birthday. These occasions call for extra attention beyond the traditional cake with candles or dance to the anniversary waltz. These are events that require special handling –not any gift will do. If someone you love is celebrating a milestone this year, here are some easy, inexpensive and loving ways to make the day even more spectacular.
A Shower of Well Wishes
It’s not always possible or practical for everyone to attend a birthday celebration, no matter how momentous. That’s the case with my mother’s 90th birthday, an event that truly deserves feting. With her family and friends spread along the coast of California and all the way to Pennsylvania, a card shower seemed to be the way to go. I sent a simple greeting to everyone on Mom’s Christmas card list, encouraging them to Shower Her With Cards. No matter how far away they are geographically, they can be at the big event and be part of this special celebration.
Greetings From the White House
Couples getting married, parents enjoying the birth of a child, couples celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss and even Eagle Scouts can receive a congratulatory greeting from the President and Mrs. Barrack Obama. The occasions are limited for this special tribute (see sidebar for details).
A Numbers Game
Twenty-one chocolate bars, 35 silver dollars, 40 fine cigars, 60 red roses. My mom’s a longtime fan of butterflies. She collects pins, stickers and pillows, anything she can find with a butterfly on it. Whatever your celebrant favors, multiply it by their age and surprise him/her with it.
Sixty 2-1/2-foot-tall pink flamingos perched in the front yard definitely send a happy birthday wish. That’s what one birthday girl found out when she arrived home to see these graceful bird cutouts displayed on her lawn. Her friends, anxious to welcome in her 60th year, had been busy preparing this standout salute.
It Was a Great Year
Life was different 40, 50 or 60 years ago. The price of a stamp was three cents. Eisenhower was president. A three-bedroom house was closer in price to what we now pay for a car. Do a little research to find out what happened the day the birthday person was born. Find out how much a gallon of milk cost and who won the World Series the year your folks got married. For starters, visit www.infoplease.com or http://dmarie.com/timecap. These sites allow you to search by day, month and year.
Collecting Memories
Encourage friends and family to write a letter to the guest of honor, recalling a favorite memory, anecdote or reflection. Dig through old photo albums for those forgotten treasures. Prepare a scrapbook for your honoree. It’s the perfect way to collect all these heartfelt memories and keep them handy for generations to come.
Greetings from the President
The White House will send greetings to U.S. citizens only, for special occasions as outlined below.
1. Your request must be received six weeks in advance of the event date. Greetings are generally not sent after the event date, except for wedding congratulations and newborn acknowledgments.
2. Anniversary greetings are extended only to those couples celebrating their 50th (and subsequent) wedding anniversary.
3. Birthday greetings will be sent only to individuals 80 years of age and above.
4. A limited number of special occasions other than birthdays and anniversaries exist for which the Greetings Office will send appropriate recognition. These occasions include: wedding (send your request after the event); baby’s birth (must be born during the Barack Obama administration — send request only after baby’s birth); Eagle Scout Award; Girl Scout Gold Award; bar/bat mitzvah or equivalent occasion.
To make a request, include:
— name and home address of honoree(s);
— form of address (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Miss, etc.);
— exact date of occasion (month, day, year); age (birthdays) or number of years of marriage;
— your (the requestor’s) name and daytime phone number;
— for wedding, include couple’s married names and current or new address;
— for baby’s birth, include baby’s date of birth and full names and address of baby and parents.
In most cases, greetings will be mailed from the White House approximately 10 days prior to the event. Submit your request by mail to: The White House, Attn: Greetings Office, Washington, DC 20502-0039.
Claire Yezbak Fadden, is an award-winning free-lance writer and mother. Follow her on Twitter @ClaireFlaire.
