It’s that time of year again, your BIRTHDAY!!
Where do your thoughts go when you hear the word birthday? Do you enjoy celebrating your birthday? The birthday of others? Or do you fade away, unsure of what to do?
Birthdays can be a trigger for joy, sorrow, loss, or just confusion. No matter your age or what emotions might come up from birthdays, here are some simple ways to learn to enjoy your birthday!
- Simplify Expectations
Early in our marriage, it became apparent that Forest and I had celebrated birthdays very differently growing up. Forest had only one birthday party – I had many special birthdays.
We developed a solution fairly quickly that worked for us. Forest would ask me what I would ‘most like to do’ for my birthday. I always had an idea. At first, he thought that was just strange. Quickly, he learned that if he just asked, he didn’t have to come up with anything else. We each have different preferences, and we have learned to honor those preferences.
- Social Pressure
Do you look at Facebook or Instagram pictures and think, ‘That’s what a great birthday should look like!’
Forest and I have enjoyed simple celebrations at home, and we have also experienced some elaborate ones (my 70th was one of those). We have learned to go with the flow of where we are in the season we are in. Don’t let social media dictate your joys and celebrations!
- Your Age
I remember when Anna was young, we had an adult party and a kids’ party to celebrate. We celebrated all day! It was a great season when huge celebrations with others were a big deal.
At other times, we felt led to celebrate significant birthdays. For example, I remember having a big blessing ceremony when Anna turned 17. My dad and friends came to bless her as she entered adulthood. It was extraordinary! I also remember my 50th, 60th, and 70th birthday mile markers. However, the memories of the 30th and 40th mile markers have faded over the years, which is okay.
I also remember challenging times in between some of those mile markers that impacted how I showed up. Going through challenges around your birthday gives you opportunities to heal, recover, and set new goals.
- Celebrating Others
If you haven’t learned to celebrate yourself, you won’t know how to celebrate others, regardless of the style you choose.
I appreciate that I have learned how to celebrate others without putting a burden on myself or an expectation on them.
Celebrating is a lifestyle, a gift, and a skill you can develop over time.
As Ecclesiastes 3:4 NIV says, “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,” There is a season for everything, and during a season of joy, the Lord wants us to laugh, have fun, dance, and celebrate!
I pray that during your birthday, you have the opportunity to celebrate who God has created you to be and the importance you hold for many.
Here are some photos of our birthday celebrations over the years, along with a video of my 60th birthday skydiving trip!
