At what age are birthdays not as special?
When we are kids, birthdays are all about us! One whole day to celebrate your birth and to get presents and cake. Who doesn’t want cake?! Preferably chocolate with chocolate icing or maybe just the center of a Dairy Queen ice cream cake.
Anyway, even birthdays as a teen is more exciting than of when you’re an adult. And in all actuality, being an adult only has a few things to make it worth while. The older I get, the younger I wish I was. I don’t think I took advantage of my childhood or teen years as much as I should have, but it’s not like I can go back.
Turning 25 was the least exciting birthday. Just a couple of weeks into it and I think the only part about it that makes me feel old is that it wasn’t really a celebration. I don’t feel any older than 21 or 23 really, but being far away from family makes the celebrating tricky. And for whatever reason, family and friends think that a lame message on Facebook is more meaningful than a text or a personal call. At this point in my life I would much rather get an awkward phone call or a short text than I would to see Happy Birthday from my mom on a social media site that is meant more for the eyes of others than that of my own.
The best thing I got this year was time spent with my little sister and family. I’ve always been the one to do creative things with my sister and she surprised me with a necklace she made as my present. To anyone else it’s just a simple string with plastic beads and a cheap locket, but because she made it and thought of something I would truly love, that makes it completely priceless. The time I got to spend with her was more of a surprise for her, but means absolutely the world to me. We were able to go the St. Louis Zoo, ate at the original Imo’s and then surprised her again with the St. Louis Science Center. I’m so grateful for the memories that she and I will always have especially since time is so scarce living so far away.
So I guess it’s not that birthdays don’t mean anything anymore, but that they are less materialistic. That is one of the benefits of being an adult, I’m able to realize the true meaning of time and physical gifts aren’t all that important.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/10/happiness.possessions/
http://www.raisingmemories.com/2013/12/ultimate-list-100-non-toy-gift-ideas.html
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