Cassie and Cookie Cake
Those two things went together like Steve Irwin and crocodiles, Snoop Dogg and marijuana, Bob Ross and baby squirrels, Jesus and bread. When Cassie got a cookie cake, it only ever meant one thing… it was July 2nd, her birthday.
Cassie wasn’t a fan of huge parties. She never felt that the day she was born deserved much ballyhoo. But that day still meant a little something special to her. Even if her only expectations were a cookie cake and some kind of little gift that said, “I appreciate that you’re here.”
Afterall, that’s the whole reason we celebrate birthdays to begin with. Our birthday is the most fitting day of the year to say to someone “You are alive. You are unique. And I love you enough to celebrate that. Here’s a gift to validate your individual dreams and wishes.”
Birthday Wishes
Cassie never asked for much. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want a lot of things. Cookies, succulents, flowers to decorate with, a new laptop, new shoes, snazzy bracelets, expensive makeup, a raise at work, a night out on the town, some furniture for our bedroom… the list goes on.
If you haven’t noticed, the entire “If Cassie Could Sing” portion of this blog is, in fact, dedicated to things that Cassie wanted. That includes a trip to Ireland, running away to Mexico, dressing up like Sonny Bono, and writing a blog. But more than anything else, I can guarantee you, Cassie’s number one desire was…
To Live
It’s painful to say so. But Cassie wanted to live. All the people who knew her have made sure to comment on how much joy and energy she radiated with every breath. And that’s the thing—Cassie gave an incredible amount of her life to the people around her.
No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus, John 15
If you knew Cass in her last few months, you probably would have heard her talk about striving to do more “life-giving” things. But she fell short a lot. She was a natural at giving life, not accepting it. On the one hand, it did make the tragedy of her passing much more of a shock. But on the other hand, it made the grieving process much easier with the knowledge that SO many other people continue to carry her love, her memories, her joy, her quirks, her dreams, her work, and her life in general.
Living On
As mentioned before, the whole theme of these “If Cassie Could Sing” posts is carrying on what Cassie started. “She had a life to live on this earth. If she can’t be here to live it, I’ll live it for her. If she can’t be here to sing, I’ll finish the song for her.”
But I’m not the only person who keeps Cassie in my heart. And I’m certainly not the only person who carries Cassie’s dreams from her night into my day. There are countless friends, family, and people she shared life with who have kept her story alive. So with this post, I want to announce that some of those wonderful people will write the next SEVERAL “If Cassie Could Sing” posts.
Happy birthday, Cassie. You were given so much more life than your body could ever hold—because of the love of your God and the love of your friends. And thank you. Thanks for giving a part of it to us.
