​Do you love celebrating your birthday? Do you look forward to a big party with family and friends, or would you rather stay home and do exactly what you want in peace?

​As an extrovert, I’m firmly in the “big celebration” camp! We extroverts tend to enjoy being the center of attention, so birthdays are often our favorite day of the year. At KLQP, we celebrate everyone’s birthday in a big way. The birthday person gets their choice of cake, we deck out the studio in banners, we take plenty of photos, and, of course, we sing at the top of our lungs. It’s a blast!

​A Tale of Two Birthdays

​This past Saturday was my wife Roxie’s 68th birthday. I personally love making her birthday a massive deal—showering her with presents, getting her favorite meals, and planning surprises throughout the day.

​There’s just one small problem: Roxie likes a quiet birthday. A very quiet birthday.

​Her idea of a perfect day involves curling up on the couch with her Bible study materials, watching a few movies, taking a few calls from our kids, and enjoying a day completely free of household chores.

​Being the “thoughtful and kind” husband I am, I did my best to hold back my extrovert instincts and meet her needs. Early Saturday morning, I started things off with a few gifts: a new pink robe (she needed one!), a large Hershey’s milk chocolate bar, and a banana. I really go all out! I also picked out a beautiful card and wrote a heartfelt message, which she truly appreciated.

​I even tried to bridge our two worlds using technology. I spent some time using AI to create custom birthday images of Roxie to post every hour on my social media. While she wasn’t exactly thrilled about the “every hour” part, she did enjoy reading all the kind comments from friends!

​A Perfect Quiet Day

Before I headed into work, Roxie mentioned she’d love DeToy’s French toast with bacon for lunch. I was happy to make that happen, and she loved it. Since she’s leading Children’s Church  Sunday, she spent much of the afternoon preparing her lessons while I watched Avery Koenen and NDSU defeat South Dakota on TV.

​Later, she squeezed in a walk on the treadmill and spent the evening relaxing with movies. For dinner, I kept it simple and cozy by heating up some broccoli cheese soup.

​At the end of the night, I gave her a long hug, said “Happy Birthday” one last time, and told her I loved her. It wasn’t a loud studio party, but it was exactly the kind of day she loves… quiet!