The other day, we celebrated Kajal's 9th birthday. In her words 'it was the best day of her whole life'. For the last few years we've done the 'birthday party thing'.  Themed parties where we invite practically everyone we know, lots of decorations, the huge cake and some form of entertainment. Each birthday has been special but this year I just didn't want to get caught up in doing a 'bigger and better' event. A birthday wasn't an 'event' when I was growing up. It was cake and icecream with family and it was always, special. I talked with Kajal about what she really wanted for her birthday this year. Top of her list is a computer which truly, I just couldn't swing in time for her big day. I told her that I was working on it and she would have one in the coming weeks but in the meanwhile we made a plan to celebrate... her. On the actual day, I took off a little early from work and picked her up from her bus stop. We hit the road and we did some of her favorite things, everything from a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts (yes, in the middle of the day) to a run to Gamestop to purchase a new video game and exchange one she wasn't crazy about. a stop at World Market so she could pick out something that was made in India (to remember where she came from) and then I cooked her favorite Indian dish (Chicken Tikka). We had a small white birthday cake decorated with pink and purple roses (I even managed to avoid the huge Disney cake) vanilla icecream and two of our special neighbors. We opened some gifts (a barbie fairy doll she'd been hoping for, Uno, American girl doll books and a few other small gifts) and we played Uno until it was time to sleep. It was a simple day and she was so happy. The next night I would be taking Kajal and her two new, best friends to a movie and for pizza... she was so excited.

As she curled up in my arms, tired from a simply perfect day.. we read the book we read every year on her birthday 'On the Night You were Born'. She loves it, the tradition feels good, safe and secure.

Tell me about the real night I was born, Mommy. She asked and I knew what she was asking. For details I couldn't give her.

Well, it was February in Southern India... near Pune. The air was probably warm and filled with some smog, the smells of Indian spices filled the air.

What else Mom?

I knew what she was  hoping for.... the same celebration of life we'd just read about in the book.

Kajal, I don't know exactly what happened that day in India but I know one thing for sure.. with absolute certainty...

What Mom?

I know that the moment that you came into the world.. that moment was the most incredibly amazing, awesome, important moment in my entire life... there is no moment to me in my entire life, in the entire world... that means more than the moment you were born.

She smiled, a smile full of peace that came from the knowledge that she was indeed loved and wanted.