The Reality of the Birthday Card

Every year, my high school has an amazing retreat program that is meant to relax, open up, and place smiles on the faces of every child there. In my freshman year, I was 'recommended' to go from my social worker. Let's just say, I loved it so much I kept going back every year. Finally progressing to the position of staff, I am placed in charge of teenagers my own age after months of weekly training sessions. During the week, we participated in quite a few activities, but the only activity we did that wasn't focused on creating better relationships between each other and with ourselves, was the community service. One of the adult staff was the army, so we were given the opportunity to write to service members that protect our country. During this community service time we were given the opportunity to right birthday cards to those who happen to be in the hospital on their birthdays and to write letters to Santa at Macy's because each letter sent is one more unprivileged families receive holiday gifts. Each participant has the opportunity to send sufficient time at each table. I spent a majority of my time at the table to writes to people who spend their birthday in the hospital. I have personally never had the misfortune of being in the hospital especially not on my birthday, besides when I was born, so I can only imagine how upsetting it is to spend a day that is meant to be surrounded by friends not the white walls and dingy curtains of a hospital. Whether it is just for some blood work or for a broken bone, those who are in the hospital on their birthday days deserve something nice. I make my cards as creative as possible. One of the cards I made had three googly eyes with cartoonish mouths and large sticker umbrellas singing different parts of "Happy Birthday!" In the middle I drew a large detailed cake. I put so much effort and detail into the card because if I was in the hospital on my birthday I would want the card that was given to me to be one made with heart and effort not one that was thrown together because someone made the creator do it. Even though I was only able to make a handful of cards, I believe those few will help to put a smile on the faces of those who have had the misfortune of hospitalization on the one day of the year that should be their own. In most countries those who are injured aren't able to visit a hospital due to a lack of health insurance or even any medical opportunities. Those people become sick and die because of the lack of social equality in the health system. Those people don't receive get well birthday cards. Those people may not even make it to their next birthday. When I put it into perspective, a birthday card to those in the hospital may not fix health care around the world but it sure puts a smile on the face of those being helped here.