Additional Coverage:
- My 7-year-old invited a local shop owner to her birthday party. He showed up. (businessinsider.com)
Local Girl Insists on Inviting Favorite Shop Owner to 7th Birthday Bash
A local mom shares the heartwarming tale of her daughter’s unusual birthday guest request, highlighting the importance of community connections.
When it came time for her seventh birthday, one local girl had a guest list that included all the usual suspects: friends, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. But there was one name that stood out from the crowd: Jason, the owner of her favorite local shop, The Ditty Bag. And her mom, Bridget Shirvell, wasn’t about to say no.
Shirvell initially chuckled when her daughter first brought up the idea months before the party, thinking it was a fleeting fancy. “Do you have Jason’s phone number?
I want to invite him to my birthday party,” her daughter asked, mere months after the idea was planted. But as the big day approached, with plans for a backyard potion-making party and a witch-themed cake, Jason’s name remained firmly on the list.
“I’ll admit, I laughed the first time she mentioned inviting a grown adult to her birthday party,” Shirvell recounted. “I said yes, I knew how to get in touch with Jason, thinking she wasn’t really serious.
That she would likely forget all about it when her birthday approached. She didn’t forget.”
While Shirvell acknowledged the request was “somewhat unusual” and anticipated a touch of awkwardness, she realized her daughter’s desire stemmed from a core family value: community. For years, Shirvell has intentionally tried to foster a strong sense of community in her daughter’s life, emphasizing the importance of daily interactions and local connections.
“I don’t want my daughter’s sense of community to come only from screens or scheduled playdates,” Shirvell explained. “I want her to see community as something built in small, daily interactions, such as saying hello to the mail carrier, remembering the name of the woman who is always sitting out on her porch on our walk to the school bus stop, dropping off an extra bag of coffee for the neighbors, and chatting with the man who runs the corner shop.”
The mom realized her daughter’s invitation was a natural extension of these lessons. Her daughter didn’t care about age or shared playgrounds; what mattered was that Jason was “silly like her, remembered her name, and always asked about her latest project.”
So, Shirvell sent the Evite, with a note to Jason suggesting he could stop by after his shop closed for a slice of cake. As the party wound down and Shirvell was about to gather the children for cake, her daughter asked, “Can we wait a few more minutes? He’s not here yet.”
And sure enough, just as Shirvell was about to give up, Jason arrived. He sang with the other guests, helped pass out cake, and chatted with the kids. “He seemed genuinely happy to be there,” Shirvell noted.
Later that night, her daughter reflected, “I’m so glad Jason came.” To which Shirvell replied, “I’m glad you wanted to invite him.” It seems a simple birthday invitation became a sweet reminder that true community is built one heartfelt connection at a time.
Read More About This Story:
- My 7-year-old invited a local shop owner to her birthday party. He showed up. (businessinsider.com)