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We love traditions around here. Just as long as traditions don’t take precedence over Truth, anyways. But special little things that are done only on birthdays and such- well we love them.

I would have to make a list over a few days to try and remember all of our traditions. Most of our traditions are made up by us or implemented by us…I guess you could call them first generation traditions. But there are several traditions that were either mine or The Mister’s traditions growing up which could be called second generation traditions (or maybe older!).

One of The Mister’s traditions that we have continued in our own family is pancakes on the morning of your birthday with the birthday person receiving pancakes in the shape of the number they are. We’ve done it since our oldest turned one.

However, there was a second little part to this tradition. And that was, the birthday pancakes were always served on a red “You are Special” plate. Well, ours have always been served on whatever plate is clean- no special plate here. And a couple times I saw the red plate at a store… But I just didn’t love the saying “You are Special.”  Of course, I think my children are special. But there’s that whole if everyone is special is anyone really? Or if everybody is unique aren’t we all the same? I mean, I get it. I get that they’re trying to say, everybody is different (and yes even unique) and is the only person that has and ever will be created just the way they are- which is true. “You are Different” just doesn’t have the same warm fuzzy feeling.

So I thought about what I wanted my children to know above anything else. And that was:

You Are Loved

So I painted a plate that said just that.

Now we have the second part of our second generation tradition: a birthday plate for birthday pancakes.