40th Birthday Welcome Joke

by Karen
(Campton, KY, USA)

My friend Patti was not expecting her 40th birthday to be anything special. Recently divorced with a son in college, a birthday on a weekday was just a regular day. Joey could not make it home from college, and she had not made friends since moving. She was not looking forward to her birthday at all.

Patti had started attending our church a month after moving. She did not know that a tattle-tale (son Joey) had told us her birthday was approaching. He meant it as a well-meaning, practical joke.

The Ladies Auxiliary at our Church had been trying to make Patti feel at home. She had attended our meetings a few times, but more as a bystander instead of a member. We thought the best way to break the ice might be to throw her a surprise birthday party. It was not an innovative idea but an easy opportunity for us to reach out to Patti.

By word of mouth, we told all the members that our next meeting would be Patti's surprise birthday party. Everyone was to come with something to say to make her feel special.

The meeting started as usual: we discussed fundraising activities and made plans for the next bake sale. My grandmother, who makes the most wonderful cakes, said that she had made a sample for the sale and wanted our opinions.

She brought out her cake container, placed it in the center of our table and removed the cover. When Patti saw the words on the cake, “Happy 40th Birthday Patti,” she started laughing and tears welled up in her eyes. Truthfully, we were all laughing and crying.

It was satisfying to see we had touched a chord, and made her feel she belonged. We explained that Joey had let us know her birthday was coming, and we could not resist the opportunity to have a party.

We sang "Happy Birthday" and ate Grandmother's wonderful cake. Afterwards, we each made a simple statement of why we thought she was special, and how we would like to get to know her better. When Patti left that day, she left as a friend to all of us.

40th Birthday Poem

Life is so special
even when we are old.
Forty isn’t that bad,
or so I've been told.

Your face has no wrinkles,
at least there is that.
Stop worrying about age.
You look better'n me, that’s a fact.

Forty is the new thirty,
that's what I heard.
Live like you're ten years younger,
life is to be savored!