Children's Party

    I was so proud of my preparations for this party. It was for five small children in my neighborhood and had many wonderful features I have forgotten. (Frankly, I've tried to forget the whole thing, but I can't.) The wonderful feature I remember was an edible modeling clay made chiefly of powdered milk and colored with food coloring. So the children could make animals or whatever with the clay and then eat their productions if they liked.

    The children came. And it immediately turned out that it was the actual birthday of one six-year-old girl. She assumed I knew this, though I didn't. She also assumed the party was her birthday party and that I would have a gift for her, which it wasn't and I didn't. The birthday girl had also spent the previous night at the home of her Sunday school teacher, a tremendous treat which left her exhausted and tearful for lack of sleep.

    With this little blonde girl looking up at me sadly, I tried to think of something gifty I could do for her. All I could think of was a birthday card which was actually a jigsaw puzzle a small child could take apart and put together. I rummaged in my desk, found it, signed it, and gave it to her. It might have gone over with a four year old, but the six year old looked at it and burst into tears. This was it? This was her birthday present?

    Well, yes, it was.

    And the party was off to a rousing start as we sang "Happy Birthday To You" while the birthday girl gently sobbed.

    Fairly early on, then, I introduced this wonderful modeling clay made of powdered milk, in the hope that it would distract the children. At which I was told that the birthday girl was allergic to milk. She alone of the children couldn't eat her productions. She alone of all the children couldn't eat the ice cream which was the main thing I served for refreshments. My mind draws a merciful blank on the rest of the party. I just remember the five children and me sitting on the floor playing with this stupid modeling clay while tears stole down the cheeks of the birthday girl and she gave the occasional hiccup.