DANKE SCHOEN

March 4, 2026

Jason Bonnicksen

DANKE SCHOEN

365 DAYS OF THANKSLIVING — DAY 94

For a few more hours, anyway, I’m still 56. I’m gonna hold onto that for as many more minutes as I can; because tomorrow, I’ll have finished my 56th revolution around the sun. Oh my, am I getting old or what? 57. OUCH! While it’s not officially my birthday today, that hasn’t stopped friends and family from reaching out. The joys and moments of gratitude and thanks began early this morning. Ring, ring…. Emmie’s calling.

For those of you who know, my middle daughter lives halfway around the world—literally. Technology and wonderful smart apps make video chats and texting as wonderful as cherry pie. Time zones, on the other hand, do not; yet the clock has never stopped Emma from calling home. This morning was no exception. Now, I should’ve guessed she would’ve tried calling this morning, because she did yesterday, twice back-to-back. I missed both of her calls and didn’t realize it until late last night. So, this morning, like clockwork, I heard my phone chirping with that usual KakaoTalk jingle. Thing is, I had suds in my hair, singing away in the “studio” like I was Ferris Bueller acting like Wayne Newton.

Ring. Ring….“DANI!” I screamed while pounding on the shower wall. “Emma’s calling! Can you come and answer the phone?” (Ain’t nobody wanna see their parent in the shower over a video chat. NO ONE!). I quickly finished cleaning up, brushed my snaggletooths, got dressed, and ran back downstairs. “Hello!” I heard. In less than a minute, Emma was singing the “Happy Birthday” song to her dad. How cute, you might be thinking. Yah, no…. Emma was getting revenge, in love. See, whenever it’s anyone’s birthday, I call to sing Happy Birthday in my best "dad-dog-howling" voice. I think it’s quite comical, and I’ve been doing it for years. Finally, one of my children got her revenge and sang it back. All I could do was laugh and think, “This is love.” When she was done (while laughing, mind you), I said Danke Shoen to my kiddo as a tiny tear streamed down my eye. My day started off in the best of ways. Fast forward to 4 PM. I was putting the final touches on our service tonight when one of my friends walked into the office and presented me with a birthday card. THIS CARD! It is so splendid—totally far out, tubular. Paula remembered that I liked airplanes and made me a hand-crafted, personalized card. I had no idea until I asked her where she got it; that’s when she told me she made it herself. “You need to go into business,” I said. Her card wasn’t just a form of appreciation; it was a show of love. I mean, who does that? Like I did with Emma, what more could I do but thank Paula repeatedly. This one is a keeper. For now, it’s going up on my bulletin board, and in time, into a file where I can cherish it forever. Today, I’m thankful for the love that comes from family and friends—for singing the song and the making (and giving) of the card. Their little birthday gifts might have seemed small to them, but they’re huge to me. I thank God for Emma and Paula, and the many others who have hearts of love just like them. The Apostle Paul encourages us to be just like them:

“Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.”

Romans 12:9–10, NLT

Father God, bless Emma and Paula today, and everyone else in our world who goes the extra mile to make someone feel special. Amen.

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