The Benefits of Birthdays

Dr. Seuss said: “I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be! If I say so my self, Happy Birthday to me!”

Adele said: “I love a card. You know, cards? At birthdays? I collect them.”

I love those quotes! And I love birthday cards, and like Adele, I collect them. Far better than some impersonal social media birthday greeting, birthday cards can be nice, beautiful, sentimental, humorous, and teasing. They are all part of the celebration of you! The nice cards are full of beautiful sentiments and often contain words of love and praise. The teasing ones are fun and – we hope – testify to the true affection the sender has for the recipient. That’s how I see it, anyway. The birthday cards you receive in the mail (isn’t it great to get birthday cards in your “snail mail” mailbox?) or are given at your birthday party are often the beginning of the celebration of your life that is your birthday!

Birthdays are a cause for celebration. Think about a child on his or her birthday. Kids are so excited to be another year older. Remember when you wanted desperately to be older, and time seemed to pass so slowly? Remember when you couldn’t wait to be 8 or 10, 16 (so you could drive) or 18 (a graduate)? Reaching those ages – and every age in between – was something to be excited about and proud of. Imagine as an adult feeling proud of your age? Some people do. They celebrate their life on their birthdays. How wonderful that is! “I am what I am. That’s a great thing to be,” says Dr. Seuss. He had the right idea: celebrating your birthday is a way to celebrate yourself. Go ahead! Put yourself out there for the world to see! Why be shy about it? Be bold and exciting! You have a reason to celebrate. Other people will be happy for you – remember those birthdays in a restaurant when the waitstaff presented a cake and sang to you? Everyone there turned and smiled. See the joy your birthday brought to others? Celebrations spread joy – they’re contagious! And what better way to live your life than joyfully?

There are some people who, as they get older, don’t want to admit their age. I feel that way sometimes, but for me, most of the time I feel I’m still in my twenties, sometimes even younger, though I will admit to being in my fifties.  Since I’m the next to the youngest of eight siblings, I always feel somehow “younger.”  That’s just the way it is with birth order. Anyway, I just had a birthday, and when someone I had just met asked me how old I was, I jokingly told her I was 25. I did later tell her my real age.  Why not? If you’re not getting older…well, what’s the alternative? …Which would you rather be?

So, celebrate your birthday with gratitude and joy (and lots of birthday cards)! On your next birthday, remember the benefits of having a birthday (especially the biggest benefit of all)! And celebrate, not just your birthday, but who you are. Be proud of your age and who you are – and say Happy Birthday to yourself!