pink cake

This Tradition Makes June a Special Month for Our Family

Phyllis Lifestyle 18 Comments

June is a rather interesting and exciting month. When I was growing up, June meant no school, sleeping late, and…the birthday of a certain someone. A guest writer on this blog, the baby of the family, my sister—Janice!

The day itself didn’t really matter. She insisted, and still does, that the entire month is hers. As other people entered the family and children and grandchildren were born, there were other June birthdays that needed to be celebrated. But just as the planets move around the sun, so were our days ordered as we moved around her day, THE day, June 22.

There was only one tiny problem—the willow flies hatched on her birthday at Guntersville Lake. My dad and my mom’s brothers always took that week off to go fishing. So, the birthday festivities always took place in Guntersville, Alabama, with our cousins. Usually we took a picnic to the lake for Janice’s party, where she faithfully reminded us that her birthday was overshadowed by the hatching of the flies and the biting of the brim fish. 

Another small problem was that by this time, school had already been dismissed for the year, so she missed the requisite birthday cupcakes during class. So, for these reasons, we simply had to proclaim the month of June her birthday month. And hey, why not celebrate an entire month? Life is passing so quickly that 30 days seems like an appropriate amount of time.

As she has gotten older (not matured, I might add), she is the first one to announce the forthcoming of June. At her party, she takes turns smearing icing on the grandkids’ noses, and even my 38-year-old son Brian gets in on it—it’s a ritual!

She had a history of running her finger through the icing of any cake mom made growing up. This tradition began when she was only three years old. Mom had made this beautiful cake, iced it pink, and covered the entire top with halves of cherries. It was so beautiful. We were all outside playing, and it was time for dinner. When Mom lifted the cake cover to reveal her masterpiece, Janice has eaten every cherry off the top when no one was looking. So just imagine the cake pictured above, but with craters like the moon in place of the flowers. 

This is one of the many reasons why we love Janice—she takes ordinary and makes it special. And in this case that something special turned into tradition.  So, June is here and will continue to be Janice’s birthday month. Happy birthday to the baby in our family! We love you!

Summer is a splendid time to start family traditions. Make June the kickoff to something new for you and your loved ones. Bake a cake, celebrate life, play, and make the most of each day!

I bet you can think of a family member or special friend that celebrates the whole month, or who has a special tradition. Share it in the comments below so we all can enjoy the stories.

Comments 18

  1. Happy birthday, girl. I think you were my first friend when we moved to Birmingham. Thanks for lots of college memories. Hope your day is spectacular

  2. We owned a retirement community for active seniors in San Diego and I always kept busy with triggering my wall calendar with all my residents birthdays, and before starting work in the morning I would make the rounds and put a Birthday card in the apartment door or who ever was having a birthday. with about 150 residents it was a hobby that kept me busy. I carefully picked a card that fit their personality, and the seniors loved it. Some had them taped them to their refrigerators over the years and some even got framed. Then I held a monthly Birthday party to celebrate as a group and each person would get an oversized cupcake with a candle on it and they would all blow them out at the same time they made a wish. We would all share a large sheet cakes and ice cream. Many of my residents had no families and I know from the notes I would receive how much their Birthdays meant to them. I loved that part of my career!
    Just making them feel extra special.
    California Carmel

  3. My family and I spend Labor Day weekend at Fripp Island to celebrate my daughter’s birthday which is August 30 and mine and my grandson’s birthdays which is September 2. It is special having a grandson born on your birthday and even more special having family together to celebrate at the beach. We have had this special birthday celebration for thirteen years.

  4. I never thought about celebrating the whole month until we got a daughter-in-law. Her birthday is August 30 and she proclaims it “high holy month”! She had the month all to herself until her 3rd child was born on August 11. So we have “high holy month” plus one! I think it’s a fun idea.

  5. Happy Birthday, Janice. You have always done your own thing. 🙂 Have a wonderful birthday month.

  6. Happy Birthday to Janice! My birthday’s the day after on June 23rd! I always loved having a late June birthday as a little girl… school was out and the breeze blowing slowly was the fastest thing all day… ahhhhh.

  7. Happy Birthday Janice! I’m 77 and got my first birthday cake when I was 49 from a friend who flew to Colorado and surprised me. My husband was out of town so he payed for her flight and gave the neighbor the key to our house so she could be inside the house when I got home from work. When she saw me coming down the street she lit the candles. When I came in the garage door I smelled Her perfume and it nearly scared me to death. I screamed and it nearly scared her to death. Precious memory, precious friend.

  8. I enjoyed this. Our group of friends from another city said that you could celebrate your birthday until the actual date of your birthday. My husband never thought that was fair. His birthday is on the 1st of the month and mine is on the 19th. We still playfully argue this point.

  9. June is quite a month at our house. My daughter’s is today, my son’s tomorrow, mine on the 14th and then there is Father’s day. To top off, our anniversary is Jul 2 nd so close as well and then finally my oldest on the 15 th of July. My husband has his in September. Sometimes I wish we could have them a bit further apart. It would be lovely to celebrate for a whole month but mine is a bit anticlimactic after two kids’ birthdays.

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  10. I enjoyed every word of your sisters birthday celebration…..it’s fun to hear how other traditions live on !! Thanks for sharing……and Happy Birthday Janice xoxo

  11. Happy Birthday Janice! Sounds like she knows how to have fun! Since becoming a grandmama, I’ve celebrated each of my birthdays by doing something special with my family. We organize a day or a weekend, and we take the whole family along for birthday fun, at our cost. We have done everything from bowling and make your own Pizza to staying in a luxury resort by the ocean {for a big birthday} to going to a museum or The Huntington Library in Pasadena, Ca. I want to be sure the my children and grandchildren remember my birthday as a really FUN time!

  12. Happy Birthday Janice! Sounds like she knows how to have fun! Since becoming a grandmama, I’ve celebrated each of my birthdays by doing something special with my family. We organize a day or a weekend, and we take the whole family along for birthday fun, at our cost. We have done everything from bowling and make your own Pizza to staying in a luxury resort by the ocean {for a big birthday} to going to a museum or The Huntington Library in Pasadena, Ca. I want to be sure the my children and grandchildren remember my birthday as a really FUN time!

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