birthdays as a grown-up (kinda) suck

If you’re a grown-up, you understand.  All of those years of excited anticipation as a kid kinda stick with you and you can’t help but start to look forward to your birthday and then you remember:  you’re old.  And you’re just getting older.  And the day is no longer just about you.  And… okay, I’ll stop.  Because believe it or not, I’m not complaining.  It’s just different.  And somehow every year I forget that.

So how am I celebrating my “special day” this year?  Besides trying to forget that I am half of my father’s age this year, I mean.  I am taking Avery to her swim lesson- against her will.  I am having lunch with a girlfriend- and our combined six children.  I am driving my parents to the airport- because they are flying to Brazil for five weeks.  And I am finishing off this incredible day with my kids’ way too long and hot swim meet- that I get to work at and miss seeing them swim.  Nope, I’m not complaining! 🙂

So… the just different part is that instead of anticipating what used to be the “norm” as a kid, I have new norms:  I got my favorite thing- COFFEE!- delivered to me in bed by my husband and kids!  My kids haven’t stopped singing/talking/or making me stuff for my birthday for the last hour straight… and I anticipate more hours of that to come.  I get to feel the excitement through my kids because to them it doesn’t matter whose birthday it is, they’re just excited that it’s a special day.  And I might even get to hear a secret or two that “slip” out of the mouth of my three year old…!

So maybe it doesn’t kinda suck after all!!