25₵ent Popcorn

It is December 1966 and I am 9 years-old. My actual birthday is December 25 and I am having a birthday party one week before my 10th birthday to accommodate everyone on my street who celebrates Christmas who has been invited to my party. We are at the kitchen table and following blowing out the candles from my cake I get to open my presents. It is a small party as our apartment is tiny and I only got to invite a few guys on the street. The twins Donald and Douglas are here, along with Richard, Jeffrey and Johnny Cormack. As I open the presents I come to Johnny Cormack’s. It is unwrapped and a big bag of popcorn and on the bottom of the package in large print is marked 25 cents. I am 9 years old a little startled by the type of present and the cost but I catch myself and realize that Johnny must have spent his meagre allowance on me. I imagine he didn’t bother his parents for money as they were just as tight financially as my parents were growing up. 

Fast forward to August 2014 my daughters are turning 7 and 5 years old. We are hosting a Frozen birthday party complete with dresses, a Princess Elsa appearance and a $100 birthday cake. As I am watching the joy my kids are experiencing at that moment I feel good that I am able to provide for this type of party for them. I think back to my birthday parties and I do appreciate the birthdays I had and the presents I received and I am thankful that people cared about me. It is hard not to laugh at the irony as I am eating my bag of blue covered Frozen themed popcorn.