Birday

"Happy Birday, Baba!” The emphasis on the chicken in that birthday wish was not lost on me. Although I appreciated my kindergartner’s signature artwork, I couldn’t help but cringe inwardly when I thought how fast the fortieth was approaching. 

When I am in a thoughtful mind frame, especially on my birthday, words are conceived. I tend to shy away from too much fanfare on my birthday. I feel that it should be a subtle rejoicing and reflecting of what I have gone through the previous year and preparation for the next. The icing on the cake, no pun intended, would be to spend that day quietly with a few near or far, but dear ones. But then that’s me. For some, birthdays are of grave significance: to be CELEBRATED and indulged in—decadence then has no limits. Thus, conventional wisdom for me would be to give it the importance it deserves on a case-by-case basis.

Should I be sad that there is one less year to live or be happy for the potential opportunity that still exists to improve myself and maybe the lives of those around me? Being an unconventional wannabe, I wonder, what if I go around wishing people a sad birthday? Will they take offense? If I am the person at the receiving end, then I will find it most amusing. Happiness and sadness, for the most part, come from within me and I create and maintain those states.

…But rather than expanding on the whys and why nots of birthday galas et al, I decided to take the opportunity to thank my friends, family, non family and non friends — all out there (on the omnipresent Facebook in our lives) — for wishing me a happy birthday (on the omnipresent Facebook).

I wanted to savor that moment to acknowledge my mentors, teachers, students, friends and family for their whole hearted support of a nascent idea over a year ago that became larger than life for me. I was humbled that new people, young and old were interested in coming on board: some to assist, others to enjoy the ride, and not to forget, a few stragglers thrown in for good measure.

And above all Noori’s birthday card was a potent reminder that the simplest, yet most elegant, reason to rejoice was staring me right in the face! It was the love of a child.

So happy birday, indeed, to me and to you, my love.

[from the Kindergarten Diaries]