I don’t even know why parents bother with their own birthdays. Seriously, why do we even try to celebrate getting another year closer to retirement? It isn’t like we get these wonderful gifts from our kids (although those handmade cards are pretty special) and it isn’t like most of us need the cake and ice cream (although an ice cream cake is the clear exception, we all need ice cream cake). I acknowledge that it is always nice to have a day devoted to you, a day to celebrate, but who has the time for it anymore? Seriously!
Now believe it or not, I am not asking this for selfish reasons and no I don’t have a birthday coming up that I would rather avoid (I am not that old yet). It’s just that after watching how little attention my wife got on her birthday last week, I am seriously wondering why parents put themselves through the birthday routine.
I know, I know, you think I forgot her birthday, don’t you? No, I didn’t forget her birthday, but I might as well have with the amount of time we spent together on her special day (and no, it wasn’t her special day because she didn’t have to see me). I had plans for my wife’s birthday, I really did. I was going to get her a special present. I was going to actually make her a cake. I was going to surprise her at work. None of that happened though because I didn’t have the time. Between two boys in soccer, chess club, piano and cub scouts, and a daughter in dance, I never had time to get anything together. That’s okay though because I had a Plan B (really).
Plan B feel apart when I had to take my son to the eye doctor on my wife’s birthday. It wasn’t a planned appointment, but one that came up when he started complaining about blurred distance vision (luckily, everything checked out and he just needs a new prescription). I was going to drop a card and some flowers off at my wife’s work, but my son and I were at the eye doctor so long, that I didn’t have time to do it. Fine. That’s okay. After getting my son back to school and dashing off to work myself, I had a little time to “fine-tune” Plan B. I didn’t make it to her work, but I can just give her the card at home. I didn’t make her a cake, but I will pick one up on the way home. Present purchased, only need to wrap it. This will work.
I got caught at work, go figure right. I am on a tight schedule, a time-crunch, and I got caught at work. I left almost thirty minutes later than planned, which necessitates a readjustment of Plan B. Instead of picking up the cake, I just head straight to get the kids. I get everyone picked up; we get home, get inside, get all the cards signed and wait for mom. Once she arrives home, we shower her with good cheer and birthday wishes, we give her our cards, and then my oldest son and I bolt out the door and charge off to soccer practice.
Now my wife gathered up our youngest son and our daughter and took them out to eat to celebrate her birthday, while I was stuck watching my son’s soccer practice. Good for her, not so good for me, but hey, it was her birthday. When soccer practice was finally over (an hour-and-a-half later), my son and I piled into the car, headed for home, only making a slight pit-stop at Dairy Queen (ice-cream cakes are the best). When we got home, my wife and kids weren’t even home yet. When they finally arrived, we did a quick rendition of Happy Birthday, presented her with her few presents, and had some cake (ice-cream cake, oh yeah!).
After cake, it was time to check homework, go over spelling words, check Thursday folders, brush teeth, put on pajamas, and get the kids tucked in bed. My wife and I followed shortly behind. We were in bed before 10:00 pm, and I kid you not when I tell you my wife fell asleep mid-sentence, mid-word really, last night. Some birthday.
So, why do parents celebrate their own birthday? I guess it is because we get so little notice and recognition throughout the rest of the year; we will take the fifteen-minutes of fame we get on our birthday. Frankly, I can’t really think of another reason. Can you?