Aside from the cakes and diner (or lunch) that we prepare for the birthday celebration of our kids, we are not really used to giving them material things as gifts. Although we always ask them what they want as gifts, none of the three demand a material thing that they want (as of this moment and aside from Christmas gift giving.)
Maybe it was the upbringing that they had from both my husband and I. My husband and I are simple people, with simple pleasures and we delight on simple things. For our family, having each other is more than enough and we couldn't ask for more. But if there is more, we accept it as an "extra," in our life's joy.
Sometimes instead of asking them what they want, we provide options so that they can choose how they can give meaning to their birthdays. Luckily for us as parents, my kids grew up appreciating life's little surprises more than any material surprises and they can now look beyond any material gift as their source of happiness.
For example this year, for my son's 7th birthday he asked for a week of tennis courses. We normally thought that he would love spending it in a center park. Where we can stay for a three nights, two days swimming, doing BBQ, biking and other activities that is included in a package. But we were surprised that he choose do have a tennis course. But since we think that it was important for him. Then we have it his way. And yes, he was really happy about that experience. For a seven years old, we didn't expect this kind of maturity on how he look at things.
And so for our eldest daughter's thirteenth birthday she asked to see the musical production of the beauty and the beast. And so we we did.
Don't get me wrong, you might say that what they asked is far more expensive than any material thing that we can offer. I bet you, it's not the case here in France. A ticket for a musical production (because I'm working for a company that specializes in tourism and leisures), can only be a half price or less than half of the price of an expensive toy that they'll play and use in a week before leaving it aside or breaking it. The tennis courses maybe expensive in other countries but not here in France. So believe me, that it may sound that we are rich but we're not. We have enough, just enough.
The beauty and the beast is the first ever professional theater play that my daughter saw in her entire life. Through out the scene, she can't take off her eyes on the stage. I even thought she's not blinking at all. Completely absorbed in another world of her own. That's how I see her. She loves it to the point of bragging about it in front of her friends. She don't brag around, except when she's excited about something. And an example of that something is this one. She was also telling his brother that theater teaches us cultures and etiquettes. And hoping one day she can bring him to one. Hearing this made me realize that my kids are different.
I on the other hand was also mesmerized by the performance of each and
every actor. Kudos to all of who performed that night! You made my daughter's thirteenth
birthday a memorable one.
All in all, my daughter and I love the show. Luckily for me, my daughter is not yet a typical teenager who will ask for a new gadgets. Yes, I can see that my kids maybe different from the others but I like that certain "difference" in them. They are, should I say for people like us, they are cultured.
