On Birthdays

"Oh that must have sucked growing up!"

"Oh, did you get combined gifts?"

"Oh, I bet you felt robbed."

When I tell someone that my birthday is on Christmas, I usually get one of those responses. And I usually tell them the truth--really, growing up with my birthday on Christmas was mostly cool. My husband likes to joke that my family moved Christmas around for me, but really, they just made sure to make it special. We opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, there were separate Birthday Gifts (wrapped in Birthday paper) under the tree, which I could not open until the next morning. We had Birthday cake with Christmas dinner--actually, I usually had TWO birthday cakes, because I would have to have my child's birthday party 2 weeks before (to accomadate vacations, etc.) so I would have a cake then too. Generally speaking, I never felt "ripped off" or slighted. Yes, it did kinda suck getting a bike for my birthday in the middle of winter (after a while, my family decided to wait to give that gift in the summer). But, generally speaking, being a kid with a Christmas birthday was not bad at all.

Being an adult having a Christmas birthday is actually a bit harder. Because Christmas is about children in a lot of ways. And gift giving. And especially when you have other gifts to give, sometimes the last thing you think about is giving a birthday gift. So, there have been times when I actually have thought that my birthday has been an afterthought.

It has been nice this year to get some wonderful birthday cards from my parents and family. It has been nice that this year my son specifically wanted to give me two gifts (one for Christmas and one for birthday) because he felt that I did not get enough birthday presents. Especially this year, when I have been not only stressed about life in general, but dealing with the specifics of getting gifts, etc. for the kids...sometimes its nice to slow down and acknowledge that birthday. So, I am looking forward to seeing the kids open their presents Christmas Eve, but I am also looking forward to a dinner out at one of my favorite restaurants and some chocolate birthday cake!

I'd especially like to share some birthday greetings to some great Braces Bunchers, Suzy and Calliope...Happy Birthday!