This article was originally printed in the July/August 2025 issue of ‘hood Magazine. To see this article in print, and to read the rest of the issue, check out our digital issue.
By Sarah Parker
Taylor Templeton didn’t celebrate a birthday until he was 8 years old. Before that, he lived in an orphanage in Bangkok, Thailand, where, as he recalls, “life there was very routine—basic needs came first, and with so many children, individual things like birthdays just weren’t acknowledged.”
His First Birthday
That changed when he was adopted and moved to western Nebraska. Though he didn’t speak English at the time, Taylor remembers sensing something big was happening. “I remember sensing, deep in my body, that my life was about to shift in a big way.”
His first birthday celebration was simple but unforgettable. “My parents threw a small party with all the traditional things: cake, balloons, and presents. I was just in awe, ‘Is this really all for me?’ It felt unreal, like something out of a dream. A part of me even wondered if I deserved it.”
That moment became a turning point. “It was more than a birthday,” he said. “It was the beginning of feeling chosen and celebrated.”
Celebrating with Intention
Today, Taylor and his wife, Kandra, are raising four children—Marcus, Jalen, Miah, and Olivia—and birthdays in their home are intentionally meaningful. Not having a birthday celebration until he was eight has strongly shaped how he approaches his own children’s birthdays. He remembers how invisible he felt in his early years, and that is something he never wants his kids to feel in any way.
Taylor explained that the celebrations don’t have to be extravagant to be powerful. “Birthdays in our home are a big deal—not necessarily in terms of money or extravagance, but in making each child feel seen, loved, and celebrated.” Taylor and Kandra have created birthday traditions for their family. Things like letting them pick out a special meal and writing a card each year highlighting who they are and how loved they are.
Those small but intentional moments, he says, are deeply personal. “It’s my way of giving them what I didn’t have, and in doing so, I get to heal a little bit of that part of myself, too.”
Birthdays are for Connection
When it comes to advice for other parents, Taylor encourages keeping the focus on the child. That could mean incorporating their favorite things or creating family traditions reserved just for birthdays. As kids grow older, inviting their input helps them feel respected and heard.
Most importantly: “Celebrating a birthday in a meaningful way doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate. To me, it’s about making the person feel seen, valued, and loved. The best birthdays aren’t about perfection; they’re about connection. Let it be heartfelt, not just picture-perfect.”
