Our daughter, Meghan, turned 21 a few weeks ago. Sadly, her birthday fell on Labor Day when friends and family were busy with outdoor barbecues and many bars and restaurants were closed for the holiday. Despite reaching the legal drinking age, she wasn’t really interested in bar hopping, and planned to come home for the weekend, grill steaks, and watch her beloved Nebraska football team win yet another season home opener, before celebrating with some friends Monday afternoon. Needless to say, not all went as planned.
On her way home from college, a high-pressure oil line suddenly burst and by the time she noticed what was happening and pulled off the Interstate at the first available exit, her car’s engine was fried! She pulled into none other than the Fantasy gas station between Omaha and Lincoln and we called AAA for a tow. While, she waited, she spotted this postcard and couldn’t resist!
An hour and a half later, she began her 21st birthday weekend riding in the cab of a semi-trailer which towed her dead car to Lincoln. Not exactly a stellar way to start her 21st!
We picked her up at the dealership Friday night and opted for dinner at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. The next day, we took Meghan and my mom to the Husker game, where (sadly) Nebraska lost its home opener for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Praying things would only get better, Sunday, the three of us went to church and later enjoyed cooking a nice dinner together at home. Meghan went back to Omaha on Monday and celebrated her birthday at lunch with friends and spent the evening serving meals at a homeless shelter with the Christian Student Fellowship.
Maybe not the typical way most young adults celebrate their 21st … but the weekend’s events did make for a very memorable birthday. As parents, we couldn’t be more proud of a daughter who serves others, faces life’s obstacles in stride, and once in awhile, even sends us a postcard.
