It is my birthday
Today- 19/06- it is my birthday.
I started celebrating birthdays after my marriage. Birthdays as per date of birth was not celebrated in my family. The star birthday ( one of the 26 stars ) was observed by elders by some offerings in the temple. The star birth day and date of birth coincide once in 18/19 years. There was a narrow miss this time around. My star birthday was on 18/06 and my mom reminded me after verifying the same from a vernacular calendar. My kids called to wish me this morning.
For a decade and half now, my birthday has been a birthday of “left overs”. My elder daughter was born on 18/06 and we celebrate her birthday with gusto. As a result, there is a heap of garbage to clear and bits and pieces of all sorts of eatables left over which herald my birthday.
Transition from a family atmosphere where no anniversaries are celebrated to an era of celebration after wedlock has not been difficult. I have not missed my better half’s birthday and our marriage anniversary. I surprised my better half by buying a gold chain for our 15th marriage anniversary. Though it was my idea, I have not been given the due credit. Since I am very difficult to be persuaded( and seldom spontaneous ) in undertaking activities which leave my purse thinner, the gold chain has been seen as somebody else’s idea.
In the recent times, we have made the anniversaries more meaningful. We contribute a dinner for mentally challenged girls in an orphanage run by nuns on such occasions. Our kids enjoy such occasions and this is our contribution towards making our kids develop a secular mind set. I find such celebrations more fulfilling.
It took time for me for the idea of celebrations to sink in. We had a monk like existence in my family where celebrations were absent. There has to be celebrations and joy in life. This is one of secrets to remain young at heart.
I started celebrating birthdays after my marriage. Birthdays as per date of birth was not celebrated in my family. The star birthday ( one of the 26 stars ) was observed by elders by some offerings in the temple. The star birth day and date of birth coincide once in 18/19 years. There was a narrow miss this time around. My star birthday was on 18/06 and my mom reminded me after verifying the same from a vernacular calendar. My kids called to wish me this morning.
For a decade and half now, my birthday has been a birthday of “left overs”. My elder daughter was born on 18/06 and we celebrate her birthday with gusto. As a result, there is a heap of garbage to clear and bits and pieces of all sorts of eatables left over which herald my birthday.
Transition from a family atmosphere where no anniversaries are celebrated to an era of celebration after wedlock has not been difficult. I have not missed my better half’s birthday and our marriage anniversary. I surprised my better half by buying a gold chain for our 15th marriage anniversary. Though it was my idea, I have not been given the due credit. Since I am very difficult to be persuaded( and seldom spontaneous ) in undertaking activities which leave my purse thinner, the gold chain has been seen as somebody else’s idea.
In the recent times, we have made the anniversaries more meaningful. We contribute a dinner for mentally challenged girls in an orphanage run by nuns on such occasions. Our kids enjoy such occasions and this is our contribution towards making our kids develop a secular mind set. I find such celebrations more fulfilling.
It took time for me for the idea of celebrations to sink in. We had a monk like existence in my family where celebrations were absent. There has to be celebrations and joy in life. This is one of secrets to remain young at heart.
Belated happy birthday to you and speaking about "celebrations in life" is a topic by itself, which needs a separate article;
ReplyDeleteIn my case,for my son's birthday, for the past 19 years, we have been sending money to some orphanage, most of the time to uthavum karangal to distribute food on that day.
My son's birthday falls on 16th June.