Maintaining and growing relationships can be challenging when living far apart for decades.
Long-distance love relationships are probably the hardest, but being far away from family and friends long-term can also be tough.
Oh sure, there are phone calls, text messages, video calls and email, but how can you really go the extra mile to let someone know you love them and are thinking about them?
My brother and I seem to have stumbled upon the perfect way to make birthdays special even while we’re thousands of miles apart.
As I’ve written about before, each year on our respective birthdays, we send the other a veritable FEAST of takeout food from a highly desirable restaurant of the birthdayee’s choice. It has been going on for years now and each year seems to top the one prior!
I thought it would be fun to keep a running list of what we’ve sent each other on our birthdays so far. Here goes!
- 2019 – My brother started our wholesome and delicious tradition when he randomly sent me a gooey butter cake on my birthday. This was out of the blue – we typically had not sent each other gifts before that. This made it even more unexpected and special! I made a mental note to surprise and delight him for his birthday, but alas, it didn’t happen that year. Then Covid happened, and the whole world turned topsy-turvy.
- 2021 – But the following year, I got my act together and surprised my bro with a delivery of his favorite gourmet pizza that he hardly ever gets because it’s fairly pricey. He was beyond thrilled! I loved this one because it had that fun surprise factor he had given me two years prior.
- 2022 – Bro asked my favorite restaurant a few days before my birthday, so I knew it was on this time. He sent me a Thai feast of all my favorite dishes and then some. It was AMAZING! This was the year my bro turned 50, so I surprised him by hopping on a plane and going in person to his awesome foodie tour birthday bash expertly planned by my SIL. And then, I still surprised him with a food delivery on his actual day because turning 50 is a big deal and deserves ALL the yummy stuff!
- 2023 – With the annual birthday tradition now firmly in place, we started to really have fun with it. Bro reached out again a few days before my birthday in early May; this time, I chose deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza from Giordano’s. It was a fabulous feast at our house that night, as pictured above! That year, my bro chose an epic wings delivery because wings were what he was craving.
- 2024 – In May last year, I chose Greek food for my birthday feast. In October, bro chose pizza again. I can’t blame him – pizza is delicious and pleases the whole family! I tend to be more selfish with my birthday choices, often choosing things I like that my family isn’t as into. That way I get to eat my favorite foods that I don’t often get to have!
- 2025 – For this year’s legendary birthday feast, I chose Indian food and it may have been the most epic spread yet. My bro outdid himself with multiple entrees, appetizers, naan bread sides and even two desserts! My family did not join me for this year’s birthday feast, so I enjoyed delicious leftovers for multiple days. I don’t know yet what my bro will choose for his birthday feast in October, but I look forward to spoiling him rotten!
Who knows where our fabulous sibling birthday feast tradition will take us next – but I already know we’ll enjoy the heck out of it for years to come. I already can’t wait to plan bro’s delivery for this year. I hope he chooses something super fun and exotic!
So if you have a sibling, other family member, friend or loved one far away, consider sending them a feast on their birthday! Pro tip: you may want to involve their immediate family members in the plan to be sure you get the time and place right.
These birthday feast deliveries are truly the best gift ever.
