Does anyone else hate their b-day?

[Autumnovember]

I thought about this a little bit more today. I've realized that the birthdays that have been good were the ones that I've celebrated with smaller groups of people or just family. Anything that I have ever planned to do with larger groups of people ended up being crap. And, I gotta give my mom credit: If I'm home the day of my birthday, she always has balloons, cake, and a card waiting for me when I wake up. So I really shouldn't complain.

 

[Hera]

I used to when I was a child because my parents would give my twin brother a birthday party and not me. He would get a to invite all of his friends and I wasn't allowed to have anyone over. I did get a birthday cake and they sung happy birthday to me, though.

It used to make me very sad but I've moved on!

Now, I do whatever I want on my birthday. It usually involves keeping a low key day with my husband-maybe dinner and a movie (with my phone ringer OFF). He bakes me a cake and decorates it himself. It's fabulous. I've also been known to schedule my own birthday party. Enough with all of that waiting for someone to throw you a party!

 

[Christina...]

I used to when I was a child because my parents would give my twin brother a birthday party and not me. He would get a to invite all of his friends and I wasn't allowed to have anyone over. I did get a birthday cake and they sung happy birthday to me, though.

It used to make me very sad but I've moved on!

Now, I do whatever I want on my birthday. It usually involves keeping a low key day with my husband-maybe dinner and a movie (with my phone ringer OFF). He bakes me a cake and decorates it himself. It's fabulous. I've also been known to schedule my own birthday party. Enough with all of that waiting for someone to throw you a party!

This still just blows me away! I can't believe so many of you have experienced the same thing! My parents have always been sticklers for making sure that they never did for one of us that they didn't do for the other (there are four of us). I remember my dad telling me when I was older how my mom stressed out over every single penny at christmas, we all had to have the same number of gifts and they all had to add up to within pennies of the others, or she would feel that we would think that one of us got more or less than the other. So, it really amazes me that some parents actually blatantly prefer one child over the other. DH had this experience growing up, and sometimes I could just cry for him. He's super laid back and was always able to just shrug it off, but when his mom remarried and had two daughters with her new hubby, new hubby would only purchase gifts for HIS girls and not DH! DHs step- grandma would only gift to her sons children too. Thats crazy to me. Two of my brothers married women whom had children from another relationship and we have ALWAYS considered them blood and treat them and love them just as though they were. I'll never understand how some people can differentiate the two. They are children!!! How is one worth more than another????

 

[JewelFreak]

I like my birthday -- it's on Valentine's Day, so people remember it. My mother had heart cake pans & used to make me a Valentine cake.

On the subject above, it's a shame & so darned immature when parents don't think of mixed families as ONE. My older brother had a different mother than the rest of us; she died when he was born. Mom & dad were adament that there be no difference between him & us 3 kids of their marriage. He feels as much like a brother as the others to all of us.

However, his maternal grandparents were quite well off & his mother was their only child -- therefore, he was their only grandchild. Keeping close to him was of course vital to them. They had him to their lake house in summers & occasionally took him on short trips with them. When the rest of us complained, our parents shrugged & said, "Hey, the world isn't fair, get used to it. His mother died, remember? His grandparents love him & need him." We accepted that -- it was a good lesson. His grandparents were wonderful people, though, and always sent gifts to all 4 of us at Christmas & birthdays & were very nice to us when they came to visit. Looking back, I have great respect for them.

It can be done -- you just have to be a grown-up about it.

--- Laurie

 

[jacy]

Happy birthday, Christina! It sounds like you had a nice, relaxing and uneventful day with your family. That's the kind of birthday I like! I've had some bad things happen on my birthday, too, not as bad as yours, though. On my last birthday, our pc crashed and I think my DH refrained from flying off the handle about it because it was my birthday! With the bad associations you have with the real day, maybe you should just recognize and treat the day or two before as your birthday with your immediate family. You indicated that you enjoy the days before your birthday anyway. Then just think of July 23 as any other day, no big deal. Just a thought.

 

[jacy]

Here's something interesting....In medieval times people would celebrate their birthdays on the Saints day with their namesake. (I think Christina is such a pretty name, btw.) Saint Christina's Feast Day is July 24! There's a good reason to move your birthday celebration by a day!

 

[Christina...]

Here's something interesting....In medieval times people would celebrate their birthdays on the Saints day with their namesake. (I think Christina is such a pretty name, btw.) Saint Christina's Feast Day is July 24! There's a good reason to move your birthday celebration by a day!

Oh wow! That's really cool, and I love the idea, in fact as soon as I read your response I called my mom to inform her that I would like to celebrate on the 24th! She really liked the idea too! So, it's officially my bday again! I wonder if I'll get my diamond studs this time??!! Thanks so much for the birthday wishes!

jewelfreak It's sound like you have some great parents too!!! It's easy to forget how lucky and blessed we are sometimes!

 

[JewelFreak]

What a neat idea, Christina! Happy solution from Jacy. Definitely this is the year for your diamond studs. Happy Birthday!!

--- Laurie

PS. And yes, I never forget how lucky we were. It's often a choice to let go the inevitable mistakes every parent makes & remember the basic love beneath them.

 

[jacy]

I thought it was pretty cool, too, when I discovered this! I had wondered if your parents named you Christina because of the closeness of the dates or if it was just cooincidence. So, Happy Birthday again, Christina! Enjoy your day!

 

[texaskj]

I like my birthday -- it's on Valentine's Day, so people remember it. My mother had heart cake pans & used to make me a Valentine cake.

Oh JF....my grandmother's birthday was on Valentine's. We all had heart cake pans too!

 

[Laila619]

I'm not much for birthdays, or any holidays, really.

Me either. Well I guess Thanksgiving is the one exception--love it! The rest of them are just another day to me. Now that I have kids I'll have to make a bigger effort in celebrating all the big holidays though.