I will quietly turn 39 on Monday. I don't hide my birthday, I just don't announce it.
For years, the day depressed me because I was estranged from my mother and it reminded me of her. But Gary and his family created several years of perfectly pleasant birthdays for me, so I came to accept the day as a mini-vacation. Then Colter was born, and ever since I have enjoyed it because he does.
i turn 37 this coming friday and for some reason, it's starting to hit me harder than i expected. it just seems like an age my MOTHER would be, not me!
Posted by: jen | May 30, 2004 at 01:34 AM
Happy early birthday. I hope you have a wonderful day!! What are your plans?
Posted by: Tiff | May 29, 2004 at 11:18 PM
Happy Birthday! Hope you had a special day. My family never made a big deal out of birthdays and still don't. It's just another ordinary day for me. :P
Posted by: Lei | May 29, 2004 at 05:42 AM
I share my Christmas Eve birthday with both my sister (2 years younger) and my best friend (you think I'm telling?). Mama always tried to make it special, and I've always been pretty obnoxious about making sure that my birthday was All About Me (or Us, if one of them was here with me), but naturally now with a small child it tends to get swallowed a bit in the Christmas madness.
When I turned 40 I was 9 months pregnant and REALLY ready to have the baby (who waited for 16 more days); that was one of my less-fun birthdays, although certainly memorable.
Hope this one is a great one for you.
Posted by: terrilynn | May 28, 2004 at 08:44 PM
Happy Birthday.
I like mine, although my husband forgets it half the time my kids remember it and always seem so amazed that I've lived to such an advanced age (42). It doesn't help that it's right around Mother's Day, sometimes on it, and I think that's a little more doing for me than any of them can take.
Posted by: TW | May 28, 2004 at 05:16 PM
Love my birthday, always have ~ hopefully always will. That said, I know everyone does not feel the same way. In our family we try to make the "birthday person" feel extra-special for the day, and that makes all the difference.
Posted by: Nancy | May 28, 2004 at 02:22 PM
My birthday was wonderful this year and I hope yours is too!! I don't mind birthdays as i have a lot to show for these years I have put behind me, though I do sometimes think about how easy life was when I was younger!
I hope you have as wonderful of a birthday as I did!
Posted by: Angie | May 28, 2004 at 01:46 PM
Birthdays are a HUGE thing for me. When I was a child I always had a valentine's party because my birthday is 5 days before Valentine's Day. Mom always made a big deal about it.
When I lived in Israel I was the unofficial birthday party thrower. I love to celebrate a birthday.
Six months before I turned 30 I was a little blue because I had a lot of good stuff in my life but I didn't have a boyfriend/husband or a child and felt like something was missing. I met Rich 8 months after I turned 30 and we were married the following year.
My 40th birthday was the only one that totally sucked!!!! Rich told me he wanted a divorce 3 days before my "surprise" party. I had been looking forward to this party and was so excited and then he dropped that on me. I wanted to run away. My 40th will always have that horrible memory tainting it and even though we are back together and things are great between us I will always feel a pang in my heart when I remember that one birthday.
Posted by: Robin | May 28, 2004 at 10:30 AM
I always get the birthday blues. I think they're starting a bit early this year (my birthday's at the end of June) due to my mother's illness (she has cancer and is terminal). She is the only family I have and although our relationship has been shaky over the years it does feel odd to know that I am the only one left (and my kids of course thankfully). It doesn't help that I'll be 35 which feels like a major turning point.
Posted by: Nancy | May 28, 2004 at 09:59 AM
Happy Early Birthday!!!
At one point, probably around 26, I hated getting older, mostly because I felt like I had been YOUNG forever. Not that 26 is old, but 25 and under is so considered being a youngin, that it felt weird. I'm approaching 29 in a month, and I'm actually looking forward to it. One year until 30! I think now I'm just happy to be alive, after so many times when I might not have been :)
Posted by: AGK | May 28, 2004 at 09:54 AM
Happy birthday!
My birthday is tomorrow. I used to love my birthday, but my husband doesn't make a big deal out of it, which has made it a source of contention between us.
Last year I had just brought home a new baby and my parents brought over steaks and birthday cake. How can you top new life and beef?
Posted by: Renee | May 28, 2004 at 09:10 AM