A Case for Birthdays

I turn 41 this week. It’s not necessarily a milestone, but at this stage of my life, I will gladly take any reason to celebrate myself. Let’s get real, being an adult is not much fun. Taxes, parenting, home maintenance, work stress, the physical effects of aging – who enjoys all that? The only good thing about being 40 versus 20 is that I have a bit more money to buy nicer things. But let’s be honest, these nice things only make my life slightly better. It’s the people in my life who bring me joy. Back to my point about birthdays… it’s just one day in a 365-day cycle that you can make an excuse to be totally selfish and celebrate what you bring to this world.

I used to be a bit self conscious about indulging in my birthday so much. I didn’t want people to think I was an attention-seeker or narcissist. But luckily, I liberated myself from caring too much about what others think of me. Sometimes, I feel so encumbered by the barrage of responsibilities on a daily basis, I want one day to escape (mentally) from the drudgery of being an adult. Your birthday is the perfect day to do that. Actually, I’ve been known to celebrate multiple times throughout the month. And actually, I celebrated on multiple occasions throughout the year for my 40th – that was a big milestone! No one likes celebrating in the winter in Wisconsin, so a half birthday celebration in July was warranted.

I don’t know about you, but I will always look forward to my next celebration and ignore the anxieties of aging. And I’m urging that all of us adults out there start taking the enjoyment of their birthdays a little more seriously.

Me, at 37 celebrating with a big ol’ cake.