The Best Birthday Present Ever!

For several years my girlfriends and I have celebrated one another’s birthdays. We used to buy each other nice gifts and go out for a fancy dinner together. But a few years ago over coffee we were discussing some of our birthday wishes. "A live-in maid and gardener." "A weekly home visit from a masseuse." "A 5,000 square foot mansion." “A day off from the kids and housework.” You name it, we dreamed it. Then a lightbulb went off. We decided to see if we could work to fulfill one another’s fantasies. And so it started. For the last three years we’ve been playng maid, gardener, chef and babysitter for a day to the birthday girl on her special day. The first rule is that the birthday girl must leave the house for the day (no working allowed). When it’s my birthday, I usually go to breakfast with my mom, spend the day shopping and maybe even treat myself to a pedicure. Meanwhile, my girlfriends are back at my house. They clean the dirty windows, mop the floors, do the laundry, even organize the office. On top of that they take care of the kids, the weeds in the yard and even transplant overgrown plants. Lastly they cook a wonderful meal and take the kids for a sleepover so I can enjoy a total day of pampering. When I come home from my day out on the town, dinner is made, the table is set and my husband and I have the night to relax and enjoy. I couldn’t ask for a better gift. It’s a gift that I look forward to showering on my friends when their birthdays come around.

~Selia E., Morgantown, WV

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