Surprise! Happy Birthday!

I wanted to share this adorable story about the girls.

Yesterday was their birthday. Unbelievably, Raizel and Yaffa just turned 15 years old!

 

However, I did not plan any celebrations. Between all our recent (and ongoing) holidays, and various illnesses, I thought I would wait until their Hebrew birthday. Only a few weeks away, I thought it would be easier to plan something special for them then.

I believe that you can never have too much joy, but I thought this was funny!

However, God clearly had other plans. He was clearly determined that the girls would have their birthday party on their secular calendar date as well.

It just so happened that we were invited out for lunch yesterday, on their actual birth date. But, I neglected to mention to our hosts that that it was also the girls’ birthday in advance. So, we were all very surprised when we got to our friends’ house and it was full of birthday balloons.

I asked my friend, Marcie – “Who are the birthday balloons for?”  Ironically, it was the birthday of another one of the other guests, Aimee. It seems as though several other families were also invited for the meal.

It was such hashgacha pratis (Divine Providence) — on so many levels!

Aside from the obvious, there is a little history involved.

When the girls were born, Yaffa was very sick and was frequently hospitalized.

Our routine in those days was that I would spend the morning at the hospital with Yaffa. Then, I would arrange for different people to stay with Yaffa at the hospital so that I could go home and spend the afternoon with Raizel.

In the evening, after my husband came home from work, we would have dinner together.  Then, one of us would go back to the hospital to be with Yaffa, while the other would stay home with Raizel.  This way, we were able to minimize the amount of time that Yaffa was left alone in the hospital and have someone at home with Raizel too.

Aimee, the other guest, whose birthday was also being celebrated, was actually one of the women who used to stay at the hospital with Yaffa. And now, it seems as though she also has the merit of being the harbinger of the girls’ birthday party. Unbeknownst to me, they all share the same birthday!

The girls had birthday balloons, a birthday cake (actually 2 different birthday cakes) and everyone sang happy birthday to them.

God,  in His kindness, orchestrated a perfect birthday for Raizel, Yaffa and Aimee. He arranged for the girls to have a birthday party after all – with many of our dearest friends too.

Does it get any better than that???

 

Tonight also begins the final days of the holiday of Sukkot. I want to wish everyone a beautiful and joyful Sukkot.

 

Just for fun, in honor of the new year, I thought I would post this inspirational quote as well:

Happy Birthday Yaffa and Raizel and Aimee!

And, a happy and joyful Sukkot to all!