It's Party Time!!! Wohoo!

I was 11 or 12 years old (so 5th or 6th grade) when my parents decided to be kind and throw a birthday party for me. I don't know where they got the hare-brained idea-just that they did. I don't recall them throwing one for Bob, and maybe they did for Barbara but I don't remember one for Chipper either.

For two weeks before 'my party' anytime they wanted something done and done now it was, "If you don't get it done, do it right, do it right now... ...then we can call everyone and cancel your party. You don't have to have one you know."

By the day of the party, with mom sitting in her chair like normal, and telling me to come here and do this and go there and do that, I was ready to call everyone and cancel it and save them the trouble-well if I knew their phone numbers or how to get them. I hadn't been allowed to use the phone. It was a tool and belonged to my parents.

During the party I was allowed to play the games but not allowed to win the games. Had the family not focused so much on competitiveness, perhaps it would have been okay. Perhaps if I had been taught the concept of putting the other person first, giving, sharing, exhibiting kindness to my fellow man and to family members... Perhaps if that was the example set by my parents and siblings I would have felt differently. But as it was-being such a foreign concept I really had a hard time with it.

Later as I was able to go to Vacation Bible School and attend the Church of Christ on Sundays I finally started to get the concept and rather enjoyed living life better that way. That's right. With all those years (3 I believe) of listening to the Jehovah's Witnesses lessons I never did learn that concept.

But for the party, not being able to win the prizes was yet another bitter pill to swallow. It would be years yet before the concept of no losers-everyone's a winner would cross my path. That's the scenario I like best. Somehow it fits better with the concept that 'all men are created equal'-perhaps not born equal, but created by God equal.

So eventually-because of how nasty a taste my birthday party left in my mouth-and due to the tender mercies of God, I eventually learned the better way. The golden rule way. Do unto others, treat others the way you would like to be done to, to be treated. Be more focused in being like God-giving, sharing and less like Satan-a black hole and sucking everything in, never getting enough, never becoming full or satiated.