Hi all! It’s Tuesday and I’m feeling a little better still than I was yesterday. I’m still having a cold, but it’s mostly manageable now.
Today I’m participating in Truthful Tuesday. This week’s question is: as you have gotten older, do you still celebrate your birthday, or has it become just another day to you?
The presumption behind this question is that, as we get older and the effects of aging become less positive than they were when we were a child or teen, some people no longer appreciate their birthdays.
I find, and maybe this will change when I get even older, that the opposite is true. I will be 35 in June and have found that, with increased age, does come increased wisdom. I am probably not old enough yet to start feeling depressed about my life’s regrets. That doesn’t mean I don’t have many, but they don’t weigh me down that much as of yet. I hope that won’t come either, but I’m pretty sure it will.
In contrast, when I was a child, I feared growing up. My birthdays were fun because of the gifts I got, but that’s about it. I never felt that flash of excitement that some children and teens feel as they get older. No, not even (or especially not) when I turned twelve, sixteen or eighteen.
When I turned 30 in 2016, I did have some mixed feelings. I was excited to be allowed into the over-30s groups on Facebook but also felt that, at my age, I could no longer have emotional outbursts. I still did. That latter feeling subsided over time though as I realized a neurotypical ten-year-old wouldn’t have meltdowns like mine.
My birthday has always been an exciting yet stressful event. Now though, it’s more exciting than stressful usually. My parents don’t make a point of telling me to act grown-up anymore. For this reason, them visiting me for this occasion – usually the only time a year I see them in real life -, is mostly fun.
I do indeed still celebrate my birthday. Months in advance, my husband starts asking me what I want for my birthday. It’s also a bit of a tradition that he takes the week around my birthday off from work.
Most years, I spread out my birthday party over several days, as I don’t want to have the house full of visitors. Last year, the visiting restrictions due to COVID were lifted the day before my birthday. This meant that my parents could actually take me out for a ride in their car rather than having to sit in the care facility’s garden for the entirety of the visit.
My mother-in-law visited me the day before and brought me the giant bear soft toy. That’s another thing that makes birthdays fun: I love getting gifts. Of course, I can buy myself the things I really want too, but I actually like the fact that people give me something I wouldn’t buy myself.
Maybe, now that I’m inn my thirties and don’t have to act grown-up, as I’m on disability and in long-term care, I can finally feel the excitement of being a kid at heart.
A Multitude of Musings 
Always be a kid at heart no matter what, it’s worth it!
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Definitely true! Thank you so much for commenting.
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Here in Mexico, we celebrate birthdays for a full week.
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Oh that’s so awesome! Do you also celebrate name days like in Spain?
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They seem to celebrate something almost every month. Saints, heroes, fish harvest, labor, etc. Not sure about Name days like Spain.
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Oh, thanks for explaining. I’d think it’s almost like the United States’ national [insert random thing here] days.
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Anything to get people to buy a card or present. Here in Mexico it’s hard to find holiday cards includig birthday or Christmas card
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Oh, that’s so interesting. I love to learn about the different places fellow bloggers live in. Thanks for sharing.
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I’ve just recently discovered your blog and realized you are living in the Netherlands. Is that your birth country? I ask because you write in English as if that was your birth language. I apologize if I’m getting too personal.
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No, you’re not getting too personal at all. I’m taking your assumption that English is my native language as a compliment, because no, it’s not. I was born in the Netherlands and have always lived here.
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Yes, your writing appears to me an educated native born USA citizen. I’m impressed.
I thought I might go back to local holidays here (in Mexico). Here’s two:
“Day of the Dead” where they honor past loved ones. They build a shrine to their relative complete with photographs and they add whatever was loved such as cigarettes, beer, fishing gear. Anything to encourage their loved one to visit. With the influence of US tourists, Halloween (where candy is handed out to the kids) this holiday has gradually replaced “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead).
The second holiday is El Dia de los Reyes (Kings Day) celebrated on 6 January. In celebration of the three wise men, the magi, or the three kings—who traveled to pay homage to the recently born Jesus Christ to hail him as a king in Bethlehem. Naturally, with the US influence, Christmas (25 December) is celebrated. So kids often get presents both days.
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That’s so interesting! It’s sad that U.S. influence leads to some holidays being lost to memory, but I understand. We have that with St. Martin (November 11), which is similar in terms of traditions to Halloween.
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Nothing wrong with being a kid at heart, it’s fun! I’m 41 and I don’t think I’ll ever grow up.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. x ☺️
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Thank you so much! Enjoy the rest of your weekend too.
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I love my birthday! As I age I love it even more! This year lots of people wished me a happy birthday on facebook, seeing the birthday wishes come in was so exciting, plus I got spoiled, and I loved all of the celebrations and being made a fuss of. Xoxo
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Same for me, I love all the birthday wishes and gifts too.
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