Rachel recently wrote an honest post about a handful of things that are not going well in her world. I fixated on how she has a complicated relationship with birthdays. I do, too! Mine is not the same complicated relationship as hers, though. I LOVE celebrating people's birthdays. I bring treats to work on my co-workers' birthdays. I celebrate my husband all day long. Part of this is because I LOVE finding and giving the perfect gifts. I also just want everybody to know how much they mean to me and it's easy to do on birthdays.
But my own birthday is regularly sort of forgotten. I *should* tell my husband what I want on my birthday and ask for him to make it happen. But, as I said in Rachel's comments, I don't think I should have to tell him and then he does nothing and then I'm sad. Oh, well. I suspect none of that is going to change.
What can I change?
How I celebrate YOU.
Do you want me to celebrate your birthday? I can do it in so many ways! I can do a whole shoutout here on my blog. I can quietly email or text you that I am thinking of you. I can send you SNAIL MAIL (if I'm being honest, I mostly want to send you snail mail). If you live within an hour drive of wherever I am on your birthday, we could go to lunch! I could color you a picture of a cat wearing a hat. I can do more than one of these things! Maybe you want something else? Tell me.
I have created a Google Form to ask you for your birthday and how you want to be celebrated. Fill it out and I'll put your birthday in my planner and you'll get the celebration you deserve! Even if your birthday is on a Tuesday, you can still be treated like the royalty we know you are.
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Do you have a complicated relationship with birthdays? Do you love a birthday party?
Rachel's birthday feelings resonated with me, too, and I love that you are doing something about it. (I have a birthday post in the works, but it is much more self-centered than this lovely celebratory idea.)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I feel this so deeply: "I *should* tell my husband what I want on my birthday and ask for him to make it happen. But, as I said in Rachel's comments, I don't think I should have to tell him and then he does nothing and then I'm sad."
Why does it feel so uncomfortable to want to be celebrated? I am struggling with even adding my name to your form. But I am going to, because I know it would bring both of us joy. But also, Engie, please send me YOUR BIRTHDAY because I would like to celebrate you as well. I know you are not asking for reciprocation, but I would be delighted to be able to wish you a happy birthday each year.