Celebrating My Birthday

    If enjoying celebrating your birthday as a grown up is wrong, I don’t want to be right. 

    I recently had another birthday. As I enjoyed my day, I thought of friends I know who don’t like to make a big deal about their birthdays. In fact, they’d prefer if everyone would just forget they even had a birthday. Not me. 

    My birthday started out with my sweet children handing me flowers my husband had cleverly hid in vases in the basement. They were so proud to hand me the yellow and white flowers while wishing me “Happy Birthday!” 

    After that, my oldest daughter wrapped a present for me. I opened a new little toy that was clearly more for her than me. Sure enough, she played with my Jungle in My Pocket all day. She kept telling me that she was “keeping it safe.” How could I resist that? 

    As lunch time rolled around, I decided a trip to Chick-fil-A was in order. The kids and I enjoyed a nice lunch before heading home to eat a bit of cake and ice cream before they took naps. 

    Finally, my favorite part of the day was when the babysitter arrived and my husband and I were able to head out for a date night. I chose to go to The Cheesecake Factory where I ate a huge and delicious salad. I soon followed that healthy meal by indulging in some amazing cheesecake. 

    The phone calls, emails, and Face Book messages I received throughout the day also helped make the day special. 

    Perhaps it’s a bit childish to so thoroughly enjoy a day that is so self-centered. However, it seems to me that any occasion that encourages loved ones to spend more time together and friends to reconnect is an occasion worth celebrating. 

    How do you like to celebrate your birthday? Do you prefer a family celebration or one without the kids? Or, are you like some of my friends, and do you prefer to pretend as though you stopped having birthdays shortly after you entered middle school?