by Karen Greenberg

Created on: April 11, 2009

Birthday Party<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

There were only 45 minutes left until the party was scheduled to start. My fourth grade mind and body were so excited that I just couldn't sit down. I couldn't focus. All my classmates were coming to celebrate me; a birthday is big when one is finally turning nine years old.

I can still remember the sights and sounds like it was yesterday. An hour before the party my brother called me into the living room. "Look at this crazy movie. These zombies are dancing," Fred shouted. "This is cool!" Sure enough, on the screen monsters were singing and dancing. A strange looking man was singing something about a thriller night. I didn't know what it meant but I liked it. My brother and I had fun copying the movements we saw on the screen and laughing like mad men. I still smile when I hear the song "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Not because I like the song, but because of the memories the song provides.
The day wasn't all perfect, though. A few minutes later the phone rang with what I thought was devastating news.
Perhaps the reason this day sticks in my mind so strongly is because of the moment of extreme disappointment followed by intense joy. When the phone rang I never would have guessed that on the other end was my best friend's mom saying that Esther couldn't come to my party. "But she doesn't need to bring a gift," I heard my mom explain. What, no Esther! In that case just take everything away and put a sign on the door exclaiming that the party is canceled. I would NOT have fun without the one person in the world who was most like me.
Esther was ultimately allowed to come to my party. Her gift to me was a beautiful stone to start my rock collection. Only she and I knew that piece of earth came from the front yard, but I treasured that rock as if it were a diamond. That rock collection was one of the few items I carried with me from childhood until I moved into my first apartment. The rocks weren't all that special, but the memories were.
There wasn't anything different about that birthday party that would make it stand out in my mind, other than the sweet thoughtfulness of a friend who refused to come empty-handed. As she handed me the gift, I knew that it came from her heart. Our friendship meant more than a store bought token wrapped in pretty paper. To this day when I meet a friend I search for that special bond. Someone who will not be afraid to bring me a rock on my birthday.

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