It's not my birthday. I'm sure it's somebody's birthday somewhere, but not mine. I was thinking of birthdays today though as the youngest will be celebrating 23 years of existence next week. I was thinking of birthdays past, both mine and the children's.
Remember how it was for your birthday? The excitement of, the anticipation of, the list-making, plan making, totally involvement of the birthday. Some birthdays were bigger than others. Not necessarily the age, but the experience. The "wish list" for your birthday was excelled only by the ginormous list you made for Christmas. There were always the exotic requests (gold earrings? cowboy boots?)alongside the "sure to receives" like underwear or socks. Somewhere in between was the reality.
In our house as a child, you got to have your choice for dinner and dessert. I remember the dessert part most. Chocolate cake with vanilla icing? Vanilla cake with chocolate icing? Mint chocolate chip ice cream? You name it, it was yours.
I tried to hold onto that tradition with our children as long as I could, but the allure of "eating out" overtook us. Alas, we go out to eat either due to my culinary skills (or lack of) or the excitement of the varied menu, never available no matter how many times you asked.
Birthdays were made for dreaming. They made you think bigger, older, more grandiose dreams than the everyday ones. Maybe this year you would go horseback riding? Or the party could be somewhere other than your house (now I know that today, the party is almost ALWAYS someplace other than your house, but in the Old Days, they were never anywhere else.) Maybe you would get money to buy the newest record, or a new outfit or that boy you liked would give you a ring! The possibilities were endless.
I still look forward to birthdays, because I still wish on them like the candles on the cake. But I wish for different things now: happiness for my children, long life for my siblings and mother, health for my husband. It's still fun to dream.
So Happy Birthday to you!
5 comments:
Okay, I'll be back with more but, for now:
...the youngest will be celebrating 23 years of existence next week.
Uh... what?!? Did his birthday get legally changed? Can you GET your birthday legally changed? Or is this a test to see if we're paying attention?
A combo...I began the post back in August but finished it yesterday...I still am not enamored with the post, but wanted it to be done for some reason. I didn't edit it out because I did wonder who would notice/see it and know...
Oh. So it was a TRAP.
*grumbling*
In the childhood household I remember, birthdays weren't any big deal. I'm not sure I could tell you anything about any of my birthdays -- gifts, special meals (or even the privilege of choosing), big dreams, parties... And I don't feel resentful or anything about it; it's just a gap in the mental record. Strange.
Wonder if our difference in this respect has anything to do with my birthday coming after the end of the school year, and yours after the start? Or maybe it's a from-Mars/from-Venus difference.
Actually, maybe it's just an October thing. I just made "veal parmigiana" yesterdy, 'cause I needed some comfort food and it was always MY request for birthday dinner (or so I remember). Birthday gifts - not remembered so much. But yep on the food. Also don't remember any birthday party until my 21st - NOW THAT was a Bday party!
Oh, and about your son's birthday - I didn't assume a "trap" - just literary license to make a point on the specific musing. though you might have been musing since...
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