Happy Birthday To Me, and To You!
Birthdays are one of my favourite memories from when I was a little kid.
My mom would slave away making me a cake based on whatever I was into that year, and I am not ashamed to admit that I would have the best goodie bags for my guests. My actual party would be planned months in advance so that everything could be perfect.
The milestone birthdays were more than epic; timing worked out nicely that I was on a Euro Tour with my fellow Rotary Exchange Students and got to be in Venice for my 18th, that was pretty lucky.
My husband grew up a bit different and couldn’t really understand why myself, and my family, blew birthdays (ok honestly we celebrate all holidays pretty epically) out of the park. He learned pretty quickly though and ensured that he planned an epic, all over the city , scavenger hunt for me for the first birthday we were together. Poor guy, he didn’t realize that you can’t set the bar so high for the first event…. But I sure let him know when the second birthday we celebrated together was not near as extravagant. I am pretty sure my 24 year old self gave him the cold shoulder for weeks after.
You see, I used to place way too much emphasis on my birthday. I used to treat it as a test for my self worth; the more special my day was = the more people cared about me, the more successful my coming year was going to be, and the more I was going to be loved. My, my, my, how the tables have turned.
Today is my Birthday. It is another Monday in May. I will most likely go to the gym, hit up some yoga, work on some prep work for my clients and be in bed by 10pm. If our schedules work, I will probably go for lunch with a friend.. Oh, and I would really like to go for a hydro massage and sauna. If the wind isn’t to crazy I will also go for a cruise on my bike…… So it looks like I have a very normal day in the books, for me.
Had this been my birthday plans a few years ago, boy would I have been SUPER PISSED. What do you mean there isn’t a gathering planned? What, no special dinner date planned with all my favourite foods there? As you read this you are probably thinking I am some spoiled brat, but I challenge you to think about your mentality surrounding your birthday, your big special day.
You see that’s the problem! As a society we put so much importance on our birthdays, like it is the one day we get to be special. Where we can act however we want, and it's ok, you can cry if you want to ;) It’s the day where people who don’t talk to you all year will wish you well. You get discounts at restaurants and people go out of their way to be with you…. This is so messed up!
Don’t get me wrong, I think its kind when people wish my a Happy Birthday, but it’s a bit funny that those same people don’t talk to me the rest of the year. And its even funnier when the only way people remember its your birthday is thanks to a Facebook notification. It’s the people who can remember without that little social media trick that you want to keep in your circle.
Birthday parties are nice, you get to see your friends and have a laugh…. But if I really want to see my friends I can throw a get-together any time of year no?
It’s fun to blow out candles on a birthday cake…. Ok, I am just messing with you guys. I don’t find this fun at all, nor do I really love the idea of spitting on the food everyone is about to eat. And you had better believe that as a grown Woman, I sure as hell can eat cake anytime I want, not just on my Birthday. And please don’t get me started on the whole ‘birthday calories don’t count’ expression.
You see, I have a new perspective. Instead on placing all of my hopes and wishes on one day being able to fulfill all my feelings of self worth, I have finally realized that I deserve more than one day to celebrate my life. Not only do I deserve that, YOU deserve it as well.
Tomorrow when I wake up, my ‘birthday’ is over. Great! I am going to wake up and celebrate my 31stand 1 day celebration. Know why? Because I have realized that I may not get a 31stand 2ndday to celebrate. And If I actually manage to make it to 32, I am truly blessed. And I am going to spend the next 364 days celebrating this.
I am no longer going to hold off and only ‘let my dreams come true’ once a year. I am a candle fan, so every time I blow out my lovely scented candle, who’s to say I am not making a wish? ‘Oh but SJ you cant do that, it’s not your birthday’…. Give me a flipping break.
Like I said before, I still think birthdays are nice, but I also recognize that we all deserve more than just one day to feel special. My homework for you is to celebrate the hell out of today. May 28, 2018, because its your (insert age) and (insert day) celebration.
Side note: I really think birthdays are more of a celebration for our parents, because it’s a symbol that they created life, and they have done a pretty good job keeping a tiny being alive for so long. So thank you Mom and Dad for raising me in a decent enough manor for the last 31 years.
My girl Katy Perry said it best in her song , Birthday….. ‘Lets make it like your birthday everyday’.
