My Sweet Birthday at Better Days

Better Days volunteers, myself included, can’t help but feel overjoyed every time we get to spend our birthdays with the elderly. Perhaps, these wonderful bunch of old people exude a certain air of youthfulness (despite arthritis bouts and graying hair) that can just make you realize that indeed, age is just nothing but a number.

Last month was my turn to have my special day at Better Days, my third year to do so actually. And since I enjoy making cupcakes, I decided to celebrate my birthday by having a cupcake-decorating activity with the Better Days elderly and volunteers.

Armed with wire whisks, mixing bowls and plastic bags as makeshift pastry bags, the elderly and volunteers prepared different kinds of cake frostings: royal icing (egg whites); whipped cream; and butter icing; and piped them into choco cupcakes and donuts.

As always, the elderly and volunteers were uber-enthusiastic with their creations, sprinkling colored candies, drawing spirals and star shapes to pastries here and there.

I’m looking forward to my next birthday at Better Days. 🙂

* A very big thanks to Ms. Kaye and Doc Joan for the photos, the beautiful ladies of MMFCI for the materials, Ria, ND and the rest of HOM, Krispy Kreme and the ever-enthusiastic volunteers who joined the activity: Mich, Jing, Tita Nenette, fellow birthday girl Claire and Ivy.

An “Egg”-citing Birthday Celebration

One of the moments that I enjoy witnessing during our monthly Better Days gathering is a volunteer’s celebration of his or her birthday with the elderly. Just as I’ve mentioned in a previous post, birthday celebrations like these gives a strong sense of fulfillment, a sense of gratefulness from the reason that one not just have lived long enough, but also have cared deeply to share his or her life to others.

Few weeks ago just after Easter, volunteers Claud and Mich have chosen to spend a special Saturday with the fun-loving elderly and other volunteers through an Easter egg decorating activity. (This art session, by the way, is Claud’s brain child). Once again, the elderly’s artistic creativity has been showcased. Sequins, yarn strands, glue bottles, and colored pens have been scattered everywhere, as the lolos and lolas make sure that their Easter egg creation wins the top prize (Yes, it is actually a contest). Meanwhile, the other volunteers who came were also delighted to help the elderly shape up their masterpieces. Six oldies emerged as winners, and the session was capped with slices of chocolate cake and gift-giving courtesy of our birthday girls.

And now I’m excited to celebrate again my own birthday with these elderly and fellow volunteers. As for the activity, I still don’t know, but I look forward to this coming month. I can only hope that that special day will bring cheers to everyone, volunteers and elderly alike.

B-day = Birthday @ Better Days

A July 5, 2009 repost.

Celebrating birthdays makes one appreciate the breadth of his or her existence. Add on volunteerism and sharing, and one will get a strong sense of fulfillment, being much more grateful that he or she not just have lived long enough, but also have cared deeply to share his or her life to others.

June was another exciting month for Better Days elder and volunteers, as I and fellow sherpa Mildred celebrated our birthdays at Better Days. Once again, the party-loving lolos and lolas have never failed to surprise the volunteers, old and new alike, on their very gamely and creative participation on the prepared parlor games: rosaries lined up on the floor for The Longest Line; standing on foot while carrying the other on a piggyback ride for the Paper Dance; and bandage-like tissue paper wraps for the Mummy Relay. The elderly were then treated afterwards with a delicios snack, an acoustic session, and gift-giving from Mildred and other volunteers.

Getting gifts during birthdays makes one happy. But sharing gifts and blessings during birthdays brings more meaning to one’s life. As the old adage had said: it’s better to give than to receive.

(Photos of the June 2009 Birthday @ Better Days can be seen here)