Today was my daughters first birthday and my older daughter decided that we needed a cake. We didn’t really celebrate and we hadn’t planned on doing anything because we just didn’t feel like she was ready for it. When my three year said, “we need a cake and we need the party hats from your office daddy,” it was hard to say no and I think it reminded me that even though she won’t remember and maybe she isn’t ready for cake, we have something to celebrate and we need to acknowledge it. I have always felt like first birthday parties are silly. I get that people have fun watching a one year old eat cake for the first time, rubbing it in their hair and making a fun and sticky mess, but it’s a ritual that doesn’t really resonate with me. What my three year old reminded me of though was that there are sacred conventions to our celebrations and cake at birthdays is one of them (I still think the hats are optional). At one she can’t really handle dairy much yet and most cakes have milk in them so we searched for a non-dairy cake and ended up with a lemon cake with lemon glaze. The batter and the glaze tasted good and it was fun making it with my three year old, but the funny part is that she fell asleep so we haven’t even tried it yet. Somehow making the cake made the day feel more like it was her birthday and we were acknowledging it more properly. Especially for this little girl making it to one is an accomplishment and we needed a cake. I am thankful for both my little girls who remind constantly of all that I have to celebrate. There are times when it just doesn’t feel right without a cake.