Both of my children are March babies. I celebrate their birthdays the entire month of March. Celebrating their birthdays this month got me to thinking about how we as adults often neglect celebrating our own birthdays.
Here’s what I know for sure (in my Oprah Winfrey voice), if you don’t celebrate yourself, no one else will. You absolutely can’t depend upon other people to throw you are party, give you the gift you want, or take you on an exotic vacation. Maybe you’ve experienced these things. If so, that’s great. Maybe you have someone in your life that showers you with special attention all throughout the year. That’s even better. But if you’re like me, the most you get for your birthday is a “token of love”. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate all the gifts people have given me over the years. But, I don’t depend upon others to help me make my birthday special. If I did, I would disappointed every year. I want to be happy on my birthday. Every year I try to be intentional on how I choose to acknowledge my birthday. Here are a few things I’ve done in the past.
Party for one!
One year, I took the day off from work. I dropped the kids off at school. Then, I came home and created party central. I decorated my house with festive party decorations. I had balloons and steamers everywhere. My kitchen island was decked out like I was a catered event, and covered with all of my favorite foods. I mean if I love it, I ate it that day. I had pizza, chips, cake, ice cream, candy, etc…lots of junk. And I watched my favorite movies and danced to my favorite music. All day…just me…it was an amazing birthday! When my kids came home later that night, they were like, “wait! When did you have a party? Who came over?” It felt good to tell them that I partied all by myself. I really want them to catch this lesson early- the lesson to celebrate yourself.
Road trip!
My and one of my favorite cousins took a road trip to New Orleans to see Beyoncé. Enough said, right? But there was more. We had great quality time together because we drove. We were able to catch up, reminisce and most importantly laugh. We got to experience New Orleans night life and on our way home we visited a beautiful plantation, Oak Alley Plantation. Listen, a road trip is a great way to celebrate your birthday.
Freebies!
There is one thing I ritualistically do every year. I get my freebies! I don’t pay for anything on my birthday. For breakfast, I usually go to Panera Bread to get a free pastry. Then, off to Starbucks to get a complimentary birthday coffee. I have to get a cupcake from Gigi’s Cupcakes. Don’t worry. I eat real food for free all day. It varies. I just eat whatever I’m in the mood for at the places that honor birthdays. Search out your favorite spots and sign up for their reward cards, or email list. This will enable you to receive the birthday benefits. You have to do this before your birthday. Most places won’t honor your birthday without being on the email list, and you can’t do that on the spot. Plan ahead. There are so many things you can do for free on your birthday, places to go and food to eat…for free. My favorite “freebie” thing to do is to go to Sephora to get my birthday gift of makeup. There are literally 100 places that will give you free stuff on your birthday!
You will have a birthday this year (if you haven’t already). Don’t get caught off guard. I don’t want to you to fall into a depressive state on your birthday because you have unmet expectations. Make your own birthday agenda. There is nothing egotistical about planning your own party. Go into your next birthday knowing that it’s going to be great because you’ve prepared to make it so. Let’s learn to celebrate ourselves. And as always, let’s press on together!