18 May The Birthday Party
When I’m in the need for some nourishing self-care, one of my most favorite things to do is book an appointment for a manicure and pedicure. Somehow, life feels more manageable when I look down at my hands and toes and see unchipped polish.
My favorite place to go is a little nail salon owned by Bobbie and Tai. It’s in a humble strip mall off a busy street. It’s not flashy. I like that it is quiet. It’s just Tai and Bobbie – husband and wife – working there.
On this Saturday afternoon, the shop was quiet as usual, with Bobbie seated across from a tiny older woman and Tai sanitizing tools in the back. Bobbie was carefully painting each of the woman’s fingernails a soft pink color.
As Tai filled a tub with warm water for my feet to soak, Bobbie and Tai began talking to each other in Vietnamese. I didn’t understand the words, but from the tone and Bobbie’s gestures, I could tell that there was some urgency and that Tai needed to do something.
Tai patted my leg and told me to relax in the bubbling warm water. He left the salon. A few minutes later, he came back holding a big cake from the grocery store across the street. He carefully took it out of the box. It was a white cake with red roses made of frosting. In the middle, written in pink icing, were the words “Happy Birthday.” Tai took it over to the woman sitting across from Bobbie and placed it in front of her. He stuck two numbered candles into the cake and lit the candles.
The woman was surprised. Her eyes filled with tears. She brought her newly manicured hands to her face in disbelief. She blew out the candles.
The numbered candles were two red nines. It was the woman’s 99th birthday. Bobbie had found out no one had called or sent a card for the woman’s special day. The woman’s only plan for the day was this appointment she made to get her nails painted. Although Bobbie had only just met this woman minutes before, she decided pink nails weren’t enough. For such a momentous day, this woman needed a celebration.
And what a celebration it was. For the next hour on that Saturday, the four of us had a party. We ate cake. We listened to stories of the woman’s 99 years of life. We laughed.
Sometimes we are intentional about the ways we recharge, carving out time for soothing leg massages and fresh coats of nail polish. Other times, we stumble upon unexpected experiences that fill our cups, like I did this weekend at an impromptu 99th birthday party at a small nail salon in a strip mall, seeing the magic that unfolded from a simple act of kindness and generosity.