• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

The most important thing I’ll do today

October 22, 2021
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

As I poured water into the coffeemaker, I thought about the busy day ahead. I was overbooked, and I didn’t know how everything would happen.

There was the usual morning chaos to get through as I made sure we didn’t miss the school bus. But I was preparing for an urgent work project that had to happen quickly, smoothly, and without error—and it had to happen today. I was excited and nervous.

I also knew it was my niece’s 7th birthday. Nieces are phenomenal, and seventh birthdays are so special.

There was no question in my mind that I needed to deliver my niece’s birthday gift in person. I believe in personal birthday deliveries, and I couldn’t imagine explaining to her why I had missed seeing her because of my job.

Besides, I have had our gift ready to go. I found a unicorn horn for the birthday girl to wear and some unicorn books, including one that came with a little stuffed unicorn. When the book description for Uni the Unicorn said that the main character, who was a unicorn, had been told that little girls weren’t real, I knew my search was over. Magical. Amusing. Adorable. Done.

I woke up extra early to take on the day. I threw myself into trying to get as much accomplished as I could before the sun came up. I was up before the birds, tiptoeing around in the darkness making coffee, cooking my sons’ soup for their thermoses, and texting friends to ask them to pray for my day.

My mind was on the many tasks I needed to accomplish. But I kept seeing the gift bag out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t forget. I had to find a way to get that present into that little girl’s hands.

Dropping off that birthday gift would be the most important thing I would do all day.

Lots of people can do the other things I do—maybe not the same way, but they would get done. But only Aunt Rita can deliver a special unicorn-themed gift, carefully selected with a certain sweet 7-year-old girl in mind.

So, I plunged into the day. I carefully ticked through the items on my list one after another. And by mid-morning, I realized I had just a sliver of time when the Birthday Fairy could make her delivery.

I messaged colleagues to say I’d be offline briefly, grabbed the gift, my laptop, and my purse, and raced out the door.

Minutes later, I was with my niece, delivering her special gift, watching her reach into the bag and discover one item after another. She put her unicorn horn on right away, and as I was walking out the door to head back to work, I saw that the birthday girl and one of her sisters were already deep in the unicorn books.

Success.

Birthday delivery done, I headed back to work and kept moving through my list for the day. And I thought about what a gift my visit with the birthday girl was not just to her, but also to me. It was so, so important for me to carve out a little bit of time to see my niece on her special day.

Happy birthday, little unicorn. I hope you have the most magical year.

Copyright © 2021 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Rita Buettner

Rita Buettner is a wife, working mother and author of the Catholic Review's Open Window blog. She and her husband adopted their two sons from China, and Rita often writes about topics concerning adoption, family and faith.

Rita also writes The Domestic Church, a featured column in the Catholic Review. Her writing has been honored by the Catholic Press Association, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Associated Church Press.

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

The day a tractor-trailer hit my van

Never stop learning

Last week, I got to just be Mom

Farewell and thank you

In June, let your garden honor the hearts of Jesus and Mary

| Recent Local News |

Baltimore food support programs feel pinch after federal assistance benefits end

Oblate Sisters celebrate 10th anniversary of transfer of Mother Lange’s remains

RADIO INTERVIEW: The Vatican Code

‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years

Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Pope: Quick change of course necessary to beat climate change
  • Baltimore food support programs feel pinch after federal assistance benefits end
  • Oblate Sisters celebrate 10th anniversary of transfer of Mother Lange’s remains
  • Pope asks Catholics to welcome everyone, create communion
  • Act of reparation performed on altar of St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Pope prays for Indian train crash victims during Angelus
  • RADIO INTERVIEW: The Vatican Code
  • Ukrainian religious scholars provide advice to British experts collecting evidence of Russian crimes for trial in The Hague
  • Defending Henry VIII: Thomas More did it 500 years ago, against Martin Luther

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED