Happy Birthday Jordan!

Every year, I have to live through the three weeks when Jordan and I are the same age, which is always accompanied by his jokes about me being an old lady. On Saturday, the world was restored and set right again, when he turned 35 — putting him back in the place of having an age one year greater than mine. 

Jordan’s birthday was a little different this year, because we had to fly to Dallas so he could preach at one of our supporting churches. Not the worst thing in the world though, because it meant he got to eat Texas barbecue (jazz hands for that brisket!), Tex-Mex, and In-N-Out burger all in one weekend. That was a birthday gift in and of itself. It was also special for us to be with a congregation of people who pray for us regularly and who supported the vision for our church long before we ever had our first worship service.

On the day before we left for Dallas, we had dinner from LoLo’s Seafood Shack with family and made a few poor attempts at filming our own mannequin challenge video. In case you were wondering, staying frozen for 30 seconds is not an activity for children under the age of five. Jameson and my nephew, Jayden, basically moved the entire time, lol.

After hanging with the family, we met up with some of Jordan’s cousins and friends to watch the Knicks game at Houston Hall in the West Village. If you’re ever needing a meeting spot for a large group in NYC, the place is pretty massive, which helps with getting a table for everyone and actually being able to hold a conversation without screaming. The Knicks lost, but the birthday boy was happy just to have spent the day with the people he loves most.And speaking of love, below are some things that I, and a few other people, love about Jordan. These are excerpts for a list I compiled and gave him on his birthday titled, “35 Things We Love About Jordan.”

3. He finds ways to make people feel comfortable, deeply feels and defends those who might be marginalized or forgotten.

5. He holds down the food preparation at family gatherings.

6. He somehow works the word “buggin” into every sermon.

18. He’s always there for his friends and family.

19. He can cry thug tears.

20. As the only cousin in our family without a brother, Jordan gave me a glimpse at what having a brother would have been like.

24. He’s got a great sense of style, and his sneaker game keep us in suspense.

25. Jordan is generous to his family – as a boy, he would buy all of us gifts for no occasion, like fanny packs. [Jessica’s comment: hahaha! I mean, c’mon! You gotta love this guy!]

30. He’s the best boss I’ve ever had.

31. I can’t explain it, but I always feel safe around him (physically and spiritually).

32. He makes the gospel inviting for people who don’t have much or any experience with it. His introduction of it really resonated with me. The seed he planted saved my life, literally.

35. He’s my best friend. [this one was mine. :-) ]

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Happy birthday, my love! You and your life are a gift to me and to so many others. It’s an absolute joy to celebrate you. I might be limited in my perspective, given my youth and all, but I must say you’re looking pretty good for an old, 35-year-old. ;-)