My thoughts on a page.

In my family there are a number of birthdays approaching. The milestones reached differ greatly. One is celebrating just over a decade on this earth, the other something a bit more significant.

It made me think of how we view birthdays as we get older.

My small girl is beside herself waiting for hers.
The countdown began Dec 25th.
30 minutes after Santas presents had been enjoyed!
She has a calendar in her room, and every day that passes, is acknowledged, and ticked off.
She is making ever-changing plans for her party.
Who will be invited? Where will they go? What will they do? What will they eat?

Her birthday is all about celebration.

I’m fairly convinced my older family member is not quite as excited about the upcoming birthday.

Why do some people stop looking forward to birthdays?

I personally love my birthday.
I feel so special on that day and expect everyone to act like it really is my very special day.
I do not want to do anything ordinary or usual.
“Put the dishes in the dishwasher”.. “NO it’s my birthday!”
“Set the table”…”No its my birthday!”
“Change the tv channel”.. “No its my birthday!”

However most of my friends do not share this feeling of happiness on their big day.
Why?

Because they are a year older!

Well there it is. That is their problem. It is here we differ.

I say No they are not.
They are one day older than yesterday.
All of a sudden they see the future shrinking. The ‘sat nav’ is telling them, they are approaching their destination.
They talk of doctors check up (spoken about last year also but still no appointment), cholesterol testing (as they try to see over their beer/post baby bellies), chest pain (indigestion as a result of the food and drink that has caused the enlarged bellies) and shortness of breath (I think this too is down to those bellies!).

I can remember a friend in mourning as she was approaching 40.
One night she said “imagine next week, if I get hit by a car, the news will say ‘A woman in her 40s was killed last night’.

I also remember a close friend. On her 40th we put up a headstone on her grave.

This is where I get my passion for my birthday.
My Dad died young. My friend died young.
Every birthday I celebrate the very fact I’M STILL HERE!
I am thrilled to be on this crazy roller coaster of life.
It can be the pits.
Day after day can be so repetitive and stress levels high.

However on my birthday I’m with my little girl. I make it a different day. I have fun.

I say “Celebrate”