Birthdays

Birthdays are like any other day.  Chores need to be done, children need to be fed, blog posts need to be written, and bills need to be paid.  But there is a big difference.  On your birthday, although the day might seem like any other day, suddenly everyone wants to hear every detail.

My daily activities are pretty mundane; cook, drive the kids to various activities, fold laundry, clean the kitchen again, change the baby's diaper, and cook some more.  On my birthday I do these same things.  The only difference is that because its my birthday, my friends and family call and ask, in a very excited voice, "So what are you DOING today?"  Well, I'm making breakfast for the kids right now, then I'm driving the boys to soccer, I'm going to try to squeeze in a workout at the gym, and I have piles of laundry to go through.  Should I reheat the meatballs from last night for dinner, or should I make something fresh?  And, hey, how come you sound interested in all this, yesterday when I told you what I was "doing today" I could hear you yawning through the phone?

The truth is I really appreciate these phone calls.  Starting from childhood, everyone has a need to feel special and recognized on their birthdays.  Its your own personal holiday, just for you.  And every adult knows the feeling of a birthday that passes without feeling special; it's downright depressing.  The extra attention on your birthday is uplifting and validating.  It reminds you that through the mundanities of daily life, there is the specialness that is you.  If we would celebrate ourselves every day, the specialness would lose its value.  But once a year, we each celebrate our own day, by basking in the attention and well wishes, and reminding ourselves that what we are doing today is special.  No matter what it is.