My birthday is approaching rapidly, and it has gotten me thinking on the subject of birthdays. I know that often times I think that because it is my birthday it should be different than other days, that people should reach out to me. However my birthday doesn't always go the way my mind has planned, and then I let myself get disappointed.
This has gotten me thinking, what do I want out of a birthday. A birthday is an anniversary of ones birth. 364 days of the year, are just regular days, but one day out of the year is your birthday. I think that most people like to feel special (extra special) once in a while. And a birthday is an opportunity for such things. I don't think (at my age) it is about presents. Presents are just more stuff. Sure I can appreciate them, but they aren't what matters most. What matters to me, is that people took the time to think about me, and let me know that they care.
In this day and age of technology, this often happens with a simple message on Facebook. Now I am not against such messages. I think they have their place, but sometimes I think we take the convenience for granted, and don't deliver messages in the most meaningful way. A few years ago, on my birthday I spent quite a bit of time visiting some people, one of the people that was there, said very few words to me the whole time I was there. Later when I got home, and was checking my Facebook page I noticed a "Happy Birthday" message from this person written during the time we were spending together. I appreciated this message, but it would haven meant a lot more to me, if they had wished me Happy Birthday in person, while I was there.
A phone call, or a visit, where applicable mean more to me than a little message on the computer screen. I understand that not everyone has the time, or availability to do those kinds of things, and so the Facebook message can be meaningful.
I guess what I want to communicate most in this post, is are you as a person, really taking the time to let the people you care about let them know you do, on their birthday, or any other day for that matter? Or do you simply take 5 seconds to write a text or message on Facebook, and then forget about them for another year?
1 comment:
Birthdays have been a sore spot for me in the past. I understand where you are coming from. It's hard to let go of the disappointment as an overburdened mom when you just want one day to be about you.
I have come to the conclusion that if I want to be loved, I have to love me. On my birthdays now I make plans to do the things I love. If people decide to reach out to me beyond that great. If not, I have filled my own bucket so it's o.k.
I am horrible with birthdays. I don't really expect others to remember mine or do anything for me so I hope they give me the same courtesy.
I kind of feel like if I send a FB msg for 90% of my friends that is enough. I usually try to include something personal in the FB msg though as getting a wall full of Happy Birthdays is just kind of annoying to me. LOL
If you are the kind of person that goes all out for other people's birthdays hopefully they understand that you expect the same in return. I've personally had to tell some of my friends that I would appreciate less for my birthday because I didn't want the burden of returning what they want.
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