Say Cheese

When my daughter Jamie turned sixteen she wanted to have a party. So, she went about making invitations and planning an evening with movies, pizza and friends. Unbeknownst to her, as she handed out invitations, we were calling each person on the list and secretly moving the party to one weekend earlier. On this evening, she came home and went downstairs to find twenty-five of her friends screaming “Happy Birthday”. The look of utter surprise on her face is something I will never forget.

Instead of a movie night, I had planned a scavenger hunt with a bit of a twist. We divided the kids into four groups making sure each one was balanced. They had at least one “life of the party” who was daring, one who was quiet and needed encouragement, one who was not shy and would approach strangers and the rest a good balance of friends so they felt comfortable in their group. The mix was vital because as I said, this was not an ordinary scavenger hunt it was more about “doing things” than “collecting things”. For example; Eat a small order of fries without using your hands, Take a picture of your entire group in a port-a-potty, Sing “I’m a little teapot” in a coffee shop, Pump gas or load groceries for a stranger or Return to the party wearing someone else’s shoes. Every item on the list was worth points and the team with the most points would win. Each car taking the kids around town had an adult driver who would not only videotape and take pictures, but also make sure the kids were safe as they ventured out.

The Scavenger hunt has become a tradition in our family and we have done it each time one of the girls has turned sixteen. It has been most interesting to find that no matter who was invited, if the teammates were mixed properly it was a success. The life of the party was never afraid to try anything and often encouraged others to step out and do things they normally wouldn’t. The quiet ones were the strategists and put order to the game ensuring the most points in the allotted time period. While the friends made everything more relaxed and easy going, the servants made points by helping people.

Which teammate are you? Are you an encourager who pulls others along side, a risk taker who isn’t afraid to do things and go places others would not, a servant who enjoys giving, a strategist who can organize, a mentor who uses their life experiences to help others (because you know what it’s like to walk in their shoes), or a friend who is there through thick and thin? Whichever you are, we need you in the mix.

Each party ended by watching videos, viewing pictures and swapping stories. It was so fun to see what they actually accomplished. They did things, not of their own choosing and without question, simply because they were asked to: new things, fun things, embarrassing things, intimidating things, things that simply needed to be done by someone. Sounding familiar? One final thought, I love surprises as much as the next gal, but I don’t want to be surprised in the end. I hope that when my party is over and it’s time to review the “video’s and pictures” they reflect a life of “doing” and not collecting. Hey, Smile and Say Cheese…your on my team!