Sahana Narayan: Week 16 - Happy Birthday
Sahana Narayan - Week 16: Happy Birthday – 5/18 [11:03 AM]
Today is my birthday. And like all my other birthdays, the day often brings back memories. Memories of the past year, memories of past birthdays, and memories of past me’s. It’s not always the most fun memories. It often feels like this occasion brings out all your emotions on the most extreme level. As I write this, I think about the time I cried the whole day on my birthday simply because it was raining. I also recall the time I sobbed because my dad told me to take out the trash, even though it was my birthday, and that obviously makes me exempt from all my duties and responsibilities as a human being right?
Over the last two years, I have tried to perfect not getting emotional on my birthday. It starts off with making plans. Plan out your day exactly. What meals you’re going to eat, what clothes you’re going to wear, what homework you’re going to do. This makes sure that you won’t be caught off guard with a meal that you don’t like or a chore you don’t want to do.
Next, make your plans known to EVERYONE. Your dad, your mom, your dog, everyone should know how your birthday is going to unfold. That way, you won’t go in with expectations that no one has actually heard about.
Last but not least, make some time for yourself to reflect. Schedule out a time for a walk or a drive so that you can think about the good and bad of the past year; reflect on how you want the upcoming year to unfold. Recall the important lessons you learnt and the insights you have gained about yourself. This will come in handy, especially if you feel overwhelmed with everything going on.
But in all honesty, you can really ignore all these tips. Because at the end of the day, a birthday is special. A birthday is what you want to make of it, and if you want to cry your eyes out or dance your heart out, go right ahead and do it. Make some memories that YOU want to remember on your 21st birthday or your 30th birthday. I wish you all the happiest and most memorable future birthdays.
Hi Sahana! Its my birthday on the 24th, so I really, really love your blog post this week! Ever since I was little, I used to be really big on birthdays. Whenever I met new people, the first thing I would do is ask them when their birthday is, because I love the astonishment on their faces when I wish them happy birthday since they probably don't remember telling me. Every year, before my own birthday, I'd take note of it almost everyday when it hits May, and I'd countdown every single day. However, last year, I got in a fight with my mom on my birthday and my friend ditched me so I kind of cried the whole night, and this year, all I've felt so far is a sense of dread as my birthday approaches. Your blog is very significant to me, and I will certainly make good of your advice next week!
ReplyDeleteHi Sahana! My birthday is coming up in July (sadly the summer), but I have simply loved how you crafted your blog post this week. It is pretty ironic of ourselves to always think that we are exempt from our normal chores of the day simply because it’s our birthday. I still remember when I was younger, I would also cry that my parents made me do the laundry and help out with home chores because I believe that I got the special privilege to not need to be a part of those roles. Just like you, I would plan out what I would eat, wear, and activities I want to engage in for the rest of the day. However, I soon realized that true happiness derives from keeping our birthday every year to the way we like them to be. Thank you for your blog and I hope to read more of yours!
ReplyDeleteHello Sahana! My birthday took place last March, but I still remember it pretty fondly. My birthdays don't tend to have much fun in them, but I always get a meal and usually some sort of gift for my birthday. Over the years, I have accumulated a bunch of random gifts from my parents, usually books of various sorts. You definitely try a bit harder than I do on my birthday, for I just tend to do nothing that day and just mess around. Birthdays are a lot of fun for most people, but I just like to have a whole day to myself where I do not have to deal with anything.
ReplyDeleteHey Sahana, most of my birthdays have been spent with minimal partying or people around. Many of my recent years have just been limited to my family and potentially a small gathering of friends almost months past my birthday in March. The timing has never seemed to pan out well for some reason, so I always end up just hosting my birthday at some random point in summer. The aspect I enjoy most about my birthday is the joy of being able to designate one day to myself and spending time how I want to spend it. It depends on the year, but I've spent it in a massive variety of ways, ranging from go karting to just sleeping for half the day. However I've spent it, I've always liked it for the most part, so I guess that's all that really matters.
ReplyDeleteHi Sahana! Happy belated birthday! I really relate to your point about how birthdays aren’t all just happy times. I've been pretty content with my birthday celebrations over the years but there’s definitely something scary or even solemn about realizing that I’m getting closer to being an adult. Even though it is an occasion, I feel like the prospect of growing older is a little off-putting, especially for older people celebrating their birthdays. Ultimately though, I suppose that we should still treat birthdays as a special day, and celebrate it for what it is.
ReplyDeleteHi Sahana, first of all Happy Belated Birthday! I hope you had a great birthday and you got to have the relaxing and stress free birthday you wanted, without anyone messing up your plans. I really relate to what you said about birthdays being an emotional time, as personally I too have done a lot of reflecting on my birthdays. On my birthdays, I always recall past birthdays as well as other memories that have shaped me into the person I am. It is always crazy to see how far I have come and reflect on how much I have grown from past obstacles. I really liked how you talked about remembering past me’s, because sometimes it really feels like we have changed into a brand new person, but at the same time, there is still the little 6 year old inside of us who just wants to eat cake and celebrate. I agree with you that birthdays are a really special day that deserves to be celebrated because it signifies our growth and our resilience.
ReplyDeleteHi Sahana, happy belated birthday. I agree with your point that birthdays area point in life where you can reflect on your entire life, and that may or not be a good thing. Birthdays truly are a place where emotions are displayed to their fullest, although I do not think I have ever been sad on my birthday. For me, birthdays are a day where I truly feel aware of the present moment and I am not so caught up in the past or the future.
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