Forget a birthDAY – Let’s have a birthWEEK

Some people love to celebrate birthdays and others don’t. I fall in that “don’t” camp.

Birthday Ponderings

Well, let me clarify. I’m fine with honoring the anniversary of being born (AKA a birthday). I’m just not certain that one day is enough. Maybe that’s enough for celebrating it with my friends and family. But for me personally, I’m going to need several days.

This is why I’ve started to think of this time as a birthWEEK and a birthMONTH. After all, there is a precedent of honoring our birth month known as birthstones, monthly gems, scents, colors, and so on. These are cool as long as they are part of what inspires me to ponder what it means to have been born — what it means to be alive.

Introspections

I’m always honored by the many friends who wish me “happy birthday” on or near the actual day. And however much joy and connection that brings, I am finding that my birthweek is more about my own self-reflection with every passing year. This sort of introspection can sometimes be done in a day, but more often requires weeks, months, and even years.

That’s why I’m finding this concept of a birthweek/birthmonth to be so important. The cool thing is that I don’t need to have a national or even statewide campaign to make the birthweek a thing. All I have to do is decide to do it myself and I can “make it so”.

Birthday Celebrations

If I know that I can have the time I need to consider my life, then I can celebrate, too. One of my mentors has a saying, “Celebrate everything.” I guess that is sort of what birthday and birthweek celebrations have become for me: a time to celebrate and give thanks for everything in my life.

So, my suggestion to you: if you need more than a day to celebrate you, go for it. You (and I) are worth it.