It is wonderful to be here again. Big thanks to @galenkp for engaging everyone here. It has been really productive. Here is another interesting topic to write on.
With what I know about birthdays, I would say they are very remarkable periods in most people's life, at least for people I know. No matter what one has been through, it is difficult to forget one's birthday.
Personally, I love it when a friend or family member invite me over for a birthday celebration. It gives me a sense of belonging and importance, coupled with the fact that I could get new connections with people I have not met before, or even reconnect with old friends. Good reception is also something I always look forward to when ever I am invited.
My photo
Just yesterday, a friend celebrated his birthday and I could see the elation on his face. He recounted how he had been through good and bad times - times he wouldn't have revealed to us. All thanks to the euphoria of the moment. There is this reconnection such moments bring. I have seen families reconnect because of celebrations like birthdays. There are games and vital details about people I wouldn't have known if not for birthday celebrations. People who have been looking for strategic moments and opportunities to gift their friends and families see birthdays as good options.
I have been to birthdays where I met some of the best people I now know. Such moments aren't common you know.
One would think I feel same way about myself but that's not the case here. I still find it difficult telling people about my birthday. I would prefer staying indoor than making a fuss of my birthday. I would love to recount how I once forgot my birthday (yes, it's that serious). I think this is partly due to my upbringing. Back in my childhood days, my parents hardly made noise about our (the children's) birthdays.
Even the few remarkable moments I can recall was only about my parents gifting me some of the things I craved for as a child. Only once have I had people gather for my birthday. That was my first birthday, when I clocked one. The memory is not what I can refer to as remarkable since the evidence of it's occurrence is only in a picture.
I know my case will sound awkward to some of us, but that's it. Honestly, I sometimes feel the need of making adjustments but I don't see myself doing that anytime soon. I like avoiding public eyes especially on issues that relates to my family or maternity. Only a few friends know my birth date - less than five of them. I think this is the effect of my environment while growing up. I have seen people go beyond their financial and social limits just to prove to others how good they feel about their birthdays. This I find awkward and may be just another reason why I love it low on my birthdays. I dislike unnecessary pressure - the pressure to impress. Some people just come to get from you and nothing more.
I have had cases of me being low on finance on my birthdays. That's enough for me not to consider noising out my "special" day. Seeing the extent some people can go just to make their birthdays remarkable is something I still find hard to comprehend. Some people go as long as borrowing money to impress their friends, after which they end up being in huge debts. It's now competition of whose birthday is louder.
After seeing some of these things, especially in my social setting, I just prefer doing it the simplest way possible by avoiding unnecessary pressure from friends and well wishers. After all it's a day something. Even with my view, I still look forward to making adjustments in future. I have also seen dope and refreshing birthday celebrations that changed peoples lives. I believe I'll do better someday.
Thanks for reading through. Please your comments are welcome.