by Roz Romero

Created on: December 31, 2008

Everyone needs to feel special at least once a year, most especially, senior citizens. Birthdays give us that perfect chance to show them some love and appreciation.

We are all unique and different, so obviously there are no hard fast rules about planning a shindig for a senior. It is critical, however, to consider the individual's personality and style when taking on this project. One man's party is another man's nightmare, so carefully consider your subject!

Ideally, you should first develop a "theme" for the party. This way, you will get in a focused flow where you can more easily pull your ideas together. Think about the person and what they like to do. Are they film buffs? Plan a Hollywood-inspired theme for the invitations and decorations. You can take this as far as you want to, but get really creative and you can make your "star" walk the "red carpet" to greet their guests. [A flash bulb photographer or two is a must!] You can also present them with an "Academy Award" for best movie goer or film critic. Tell friends and family in advance that there will an opportunity to "roast" the birthday girl or boy with a funny public address. The roast should be lighthearted and as funny as possible, of course. Be sure to capture these precious moments on video so you can present it later as a gift DVD.

Another possible party theme might be for avid sports fans. Golfers, tennis players, bowlers - even couch potatoes deserve a celebration on the commemoration day of their birth! Many of the foregoing ideas for the Hollywood theme party can be implemented with some minor tweaks. For instance, instead of an Academy Award presentation, a phony LPGA trophy can be dummied up along with a phony story about the birthday boy unseating Tiger Woods as the world's best golfer, or something crazy like that. You get the idea. Focus on the person and their likes, and let your imagination take you to the perfect idea.

In circumstances where you want to keep the party fun but maybe a little less elaborate, it's always fun to take the letters of the birthday subject's name and create a poem about that person. You can even assign the letters of the person's name to party guests with the instruction to come up with a little story about that person corresponding with that letter. Again, these moments must be preserved on film for further enjoyment and for sharing with those faraway friends and family unable to attend your gathering. To include them in the party, ask them well in advance if you can come over to record a special birthday message that can be played on a DVD player at the party.

The point to planning a senior citizen's birthday is to have fun and create some great memories. Enjoy these special people in your life while they are here! Don't wait until they're gone to write some heartfelt sentiment in a guest book for the reposed soul that they will never read, let them know just how important they are to you now!

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