special days

My nephew celebrated his fourth birthday yesterday. Presents with bright colored wrapping paper were stacked in the living room. Music streamed from the stereo speakers, a playlist created by my nephew which included all his favorite songs...Barbara Ann, by the Beach Boys, a few Sesame Street tunes, and a song by Miley Cyrus. Even at four, Miley songs seem to seep into one's head.

And my nephew was in total bliss. Wrapping paper got ripped off of the packages at tornado-like speed, and with each new toy his eyes simply got wider and wider. It was as if he had been deprived of toys for years. A previous toy-junkie that decided one day to take 12 steps backward and rediscover his one true vice.

My sister had baked a dinosaur-shaped cake for him, my nephew having formed a fascination with all things dinosaur. And the cake was devoured with the same enthusiasm that the toys were opened with. Flurries of sprinkles surrounded him as he licked the icing off of a rather large section of T-Rex's tail.

Later in the day, after most of the guests had departed, I sat with my sister and nephew around the kitchen table...my sister and I sipping stale coffee and my nephew enjoying yet another small slice of cake; a piece of T-Rex's nose this time.

He popped a small, blue sprinkle into his mouth...eating his sprinkles like a connoisseur, enjoying them one sprinkle at a time. He sat and became quite reflective, as if contemplating some of life's great mysteries.

“Mom,” he stated. “I think I'd like to have another birthday party tomorrow.”

“Honey, birthdays are very special days that only happen once a year,” she told him.

He seemed to think about this for a few seconds before responding. “Well tomorrow is a special day too.”

“Oh,” my sister asked, “and what day is tomorrow?”

“Monday!” he exclaimed.

“Dear, Mondays aren't special days,” she replied.

He looked crestfallen upon hearing this, but was soon absorbed in the remainder of his cake...seemingly having forgotten the unspecialness of Mondays.

My sister was right, of course. And sadly, he would learn soon enough that, rather than being special, Mondays were downright horrible days.

Although, if you could fill your Mondays with presents and cake, while it wouldn't completely erase their terribleness, it would certainly make them more bearable.