I sometimes wonder why some mature adults assign such importance to their birthdays, particularly when they were born so many years ago. Why would they expect others to drop everything, to devote both time and energy to celebrate someone else’s special day?
Those born between mid-January and late November may, I suppose, be successful and engage their buddies to get together, but those individuals born between early December and mid-January are generally ignored because of Christmas.
Because of a special guy, about whom we all have read, birthday celebrations for most children born in December are unimportant because of Yuletide responsibilities.
These unfortunate kids are victims of their parents’ failure to calculate conception and delivery dates. The infants’ arrivals and birthday celebrations are inconvenient because the season is all about that Bethlehem fellow and he doesn’t even show up for the Santa Claus parade!
We Christmas kids have grown up with many disappointments. But then, as adults, we realize that our birthdays are important to us alone.
My dear friend was born on Boxing Day. We celebrate her birthday in early September because, in reality, September IS the beginning of the new year, the time to begin again. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate together.
I delivered my niece, Holly, before dawn on December 25th years ago.
My intoxicated brother-in-law decided his wife couldn’t possibly give birth on Christmas Day.
He was wrong!!!
As he stood mute at the kitchen stove, his eyes bloodshot, pots of water boiling on all four burners, I grabbed Christmas ribbon from gifts under the tree to tie the umbilical cord and dipped kitchen scissors in a bottle of rum before I severed the cord.
When Vivian said that they had planned to name their newborn daughter “Christina”, I said I’d put her back! They christened her Holly.
I wonder if Holly harbours anger today because she has to share her special day with a fellow who grabs all the glory while she sets the table and loads the dishwasher.
As an adult, it would be foolish to expect anyone to fulfill my birthday wishes. I do believe though, that each and every day should be celebrated. Every day is important and special. It is someone’s birthday every single day.
So, let’s celebrate.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE!!!!!
By Joan Alexander