It is known that they are just like all the other 364 days and like every other day and every other thing they are neither good nor bad in what they are but only our perceptions and expectations makes them so. And our perceptions of this particular day is what caused the birth of this blog post and motivated me to look deeper into the matter.
Birthdays are known for being the day you expect a lot from your beloved ones; a day, a special day, that the world revolves around you and only you (especially for women). This day holds a special place, a reassurance that you matter to others. A day you "expect" to be showered with good birthday wishes, gifts, parties and celebrations...But like most highly expected events they have a tendency to turn out to be less satisfying. Maybe someone you call dear forgot it or maybe someone gave you a cheap gift or maybe a sweet 16 show thing happened (you were expecting a yellow Lamborghini and your father bought you a pink one and now your whole world is ruined because pink doesn't match with your dress or your eyeliner). And so usually birthdays turn out to be saddening. Don't call me a pessimist but we all have at-least one birthday that we cried our eyes out on. If you don't believe me ask your mother about how your first actual true birthday went. Maybe it's already embedded in our DNA, it's how birthdays should be celebrated. If we came into the world crying it would be acceptable if we keep celebrating that day crying. But why? Why are birthday usually saddening especially as you grow older? and how can we celebrate them in a more memorable way? And what is the meaning behind one coming to the earth? This is my point of view and may be someone can relate to it.
Lets start by conveying the "true" facts about birthdays. Your real birthday is actually that day you were given birth on and I doubt if you remember it. It's not the day you came into being, that day is most probably 3-6 months after your conception/your parents did the nasty. But your Birthday is the day you came into the world; and butt naked. It is the day you started living on the earth independently. You didn't chose this life nor chose the conditions. This life, You were given it, which makes it a gift. You were blessed with the gift of life on earth. You were blessed with the gift of occupying a space on the universe with your flesh, body and soul. And this is what your birthday is. And all your birthdays you celebrate every year are actually not your birthdays but your birthday anniversaries since you'r not reborn every year. So all the other days are actually days you commemorate that one day. And these birthday anniversaries are also blessings too. If you think about it, when we count our age, we count not what is yet to come but what we have passed. So if I'm celebrating my 29th birthday, which I am, I'm actually celebrating the end of my 29th year and the beginning of my 30th year. So birthdays are actually a recognition of a time passed or an acknowledgement of that you've been given, a gift of time, another year. So these days should have more meaning that just, you seeking confirmation that you matter in this world. Rather it should be the day you become great-full that you've been given a LIFE and blessed with the gift of TIME.
So birthdays shouldn't be the day you wait for gifts and wishes from your beloved ones. You have already been given the Greatest gifts from the Greatest giver which are Life and Time. So it should be a day of gratification, a day you give not receive, and by "give", give thanks for the life and time, give thanks for all that has passed, give thanks to those whose been in it. A time to look back and see what you've done, and who you've become and be grateful and at the same time look forward to what is yet to come and be hopeful.
Some things you might want to do on your birthday.
- Start the day with a special prayer or meditation
- Look back into the year that has passed and dot down key turning points/milestones you've achieved
- Reach an agreement with yourself to extend life for another year
- Make a yearly bucket list
- GIVE BLOOD (Save a life on a day you got one)
- Buy something for yourself. But not to keep it, own that gift until you find the perfect moment you can give it to someone especial or a special moment.
