Recently, a beloved graduate of our “Hope and Healing” workshop revealed that her upcoming birthday would be met with a sense of melancholy. Because of a past filled with trauma, birthdays for her were lonely and demoralizing. Rather than celebration and joy, birthdays evoked anxiousness and emptiness. As the day drew nearer, she grew more pensive.
Asked what her perfect birthday would entail, she responded with a far off look in her eyes, “I would run through a cornfield and eat German chocolate cake.”
Cornfields and cake. Not what we were expecting.
Given the ubiquity of cornfields in our area, we found it hard to believe she had never been in one. It is almost a rite of passage for children in this area to run through a corn maze at some point in their childhood. However, for this woman, childhood was brutally cut short and replaced with the burdens of adulthood before she was old enough to tie her own shoes.
When asked if she had any birthday memories tinged with joy, she remembered, “Once, my father made me mashed potatoes and meatloaf. It was my favorite meal.”
Sarah Elledge ultimately got wind of this story, and she was determined to give our sweet friend her perfect birthday. Questioned if it was possible to pull off in such a short notice, Sarah simply said, “Yes.” Therefore, she invited our mentee to her home, which abuts a vast cornfield. As the evening sun cast a warm glow over the field, our friend ran through rows and rows of corn. Stalks clinging to her hair and shirt, she giggled with delight. Afterwards, they celebrated with meatloaf (courtesy of Sarah’s husband), mashed potatoes, and yes, German chocolate cake (store bought, not courtesy of Sarah’s amazing husband).
As the sun set, they relaxed on the back deck while listening to Lauren Daigle sing. Reflections on growth, one’s sense of worth, and God’s grace ushered in the night sky. At the conclusion of the celebration, our friend tearfully confessed, “I have never felt this much love on my birthday.”
And all it took was a simple yes.