The Birthday Tradition
We’ve had a tradition in my family during
my adult years for as long as I can remember. Somewhere along the way we
transitioned from getting a gift for our birthday to celebrating our birthdays
with a home cooked meal. My mother, who is a fabulous cook, will cook to order
a birthday dinner for each member of the family including dessert.
We’ve had a tradition in my family during
my adult years for as long as I can remember. Somewhere along the way we
transitioned from getting a gift for our birthday to celebrating our birthdays
with a home cooked meal. My mother, who is a fabulous cook, will cook to order
a birthday dinner for each member of the family including dessert.
Everyone attends the birthday lunch – it would be sacrilege to miss one. Most of our celebrations are in July with one each in August, September, and December.
July 5th – Michael (my older brother)
July 12th – Brandon (my younger brother)
July 18th – Ariel
July 21st – My Dad
August 15th – Hannah
Then we have a short break until my mom’s birthday, September 25th. Of course, we don’t make her cook her own birthday dinner. Either I will cook or we will take her out. In years past, most often than not, we’ve opted for the latter. She loves Babe’s Fried Chicken so we’ve celebrated there more than once.
And then there’s my birthday – December 20th. Yes. Five days before Christmas.
I was always envious of the July birthdays – July! Think of it. The only reason to celebrate July was birthdays! Ok, so July 4th is a holiday, but no where near the magnitude that Christmas is.
In years past I’ve celebrated with birthday cakes decorated with poinsettia, had a co-celebration with the office Christmas party, been given a single gift for birthday AND Christmas, and had my birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper AND retrieved from beneath the Christmas tree. None of which I could ever imagine doing for anyone else’s birthday.
So, over the years I’ve secretly wished that I could choose another month to celebrate – a month all to myself with no distracting holiday decorations or goings on.
And so we did yesterday. But not because I asked. My mother wanted to celebrate early because she’s having replacement knee surgery December 14th and won’t be able to fulfill the tradition this December.
We sat down as a family on November 6, 2005 to celebrate my $%th birthday (yes, that's correct - $%) over a large pot of spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. Not chicken (Ariel), not steak (Hannah), for me it has to be spaghetti. I have yet to taste spaghetti ANYWHERE that I would choose over hers. And for dessert, well, my request this year was for the peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses pressed into the center . Oh my. What a delight.
Ariel and her boyfriend, Brian, surprised me after lunch with a mini concert of duets for Violin and Cello. It was a fantastic surprise and a wonderful gift.
But for all the good things about the day - the food, the music, time with my family - it didn’t feel like my birthday. And I was surprised. It was what I’d always wanted. Sure it was November – the Thanksgiving month - but it was early in the month and ahead of any thought of Thanksgiving celebration.
It just wasn’t my birthday. The leaves were still on the trees (Yes, this is Texas. The trees won’t lose all their leaves until the end of November.) There was no Christmas tree with blinking lights, no Christmas candy to nibble on, no Christmas candles burning, no excitement over the approaching day with final preparations.
For all they bellyaching I've done over the years about how my birthday is lost amidst the Christmas celebration, it just didn't seem like my birthday without it. I have a December birthday and that's just who I am.
Ariel summed it up best a few years ago when she was in elementary school, “Mom you get to share your birthday with Jesus. That’s pretty cool.”
While I'm thankful my mom made the extra effort this year there will be no more daydreams about celebrating in a different month.
From now on December it is for me.
Everyone attends the birthday lunch – it would be sacrilege to miss one. Most of our celebrations are in July with one each in August, September, and December.
July 5th – Michael (my older brother)
July 12th – Brandon (my younger brother)
July 18th – Ariel
July 21st – My Dad
August 15th – Hannah
Then we have a short break until my mom’s birthday, September 25th. Of course, we don’t make her cook her own birthday dinner. Either I will cook or we will take her out. In years past, most often than not, we’ve opted for the latter. She loves Babe’s Fried Chicken so we’ve celebrated there more than once.
And then there’s my birthday – December 20th. Yes. Five days before Christmas.
I was always envious of the July birthdays – July! Think of it. The only reason to celebrate July was birthdays! Ok, so July 4th is a holiday, but no where near the magnitude that Christmas is.
In years past I’ve celebrated with birthday cakes decorated with poinsettia, had a co-celebration with the office Christmas party, been given a single gift for birthday AND Christmas, and had my birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper AND retrieved from beneath the Christmas tree. None of which I could ever imagine doing for anyone else’s birthday.
So, over the years I’ve secretly wished that I could choose another month to celebrate – a month all to myself with no distracting holiday decorations or goings on.
And so we did yesterday. But not because I asked. My mother wanted to celebrate early because she’s having replacement knee surgery December 14th and won’t be able to fulfill the tradition this December.
We sat down as a family on November 6, 2005 to celebrate my $%th birthday (yes, that's correct - $%) over a large pot of spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. Not chicken (Ariel), not steak (Hannah), for me it has to be spaghetti. I have yet to taste spaghetti ANYWHERE that I would choose over hers. And for dessert, well, my request this year was for the peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses pressed into the center . Oh my. What a delight.
Ariel and her boyfriend, Brian, surprised me after lunch with a mini concert of duets for Violin and Cello. It was a fantastic surprise and a wonderful gift.
But for all the good things about the day - the food, the music, time with my family - it didn’t feel like my birthday. And I was surprised. It was what I’d always wanted. Sure it was November – the Thanksgiving month - but it was early in the month and ahead of any thought of Thanksgiving celebration.
It just wasn’t my birthday. The leaves were still on the trees (Yes, this is Texas. The trees won’t lose all their leaves until the end of November.) There was no Christmas tree with blinking lights, no Christmas candy to nibble on, no Christmas candles burning, no excitement over the approaching day with final preparations.
For all they bellyaching I've done over the years about how my birthday is lost amidst the Christmas celebration, it just didn't seem like my birthday without it. I have a December birthday and that's just who I am.
Ariel summed it up best a few years ago when she was in elementary school, “Mom you get to share your birthday with Jesus. That’s pretty cool.”
While I'm thankful my mom made the extra effort this year there will be no more daydreams about celebrating in a different month.
From now on December it is for me.
Posted: Mon - November 7, 2005 at 08:17 AM
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Published On: Sep 15, 2007 10:59 PM
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Published On: Sep 15, 2007 10:59 PM