Last week, I celebrated my 53rd birthday in typical midlife low-key fashion. No big party. No big fuss. Just a little self-indulgence before starting my (abbreviated) work day: an extended morning workout (and yes, I still do birthday burpees) followed by an infrared sauna session and massage.
While I do enjoy people acknowledging my birthday, I don’t need a lot of pomp and circumstance and I definitely don’t need (nor want) to be the center of attention. Acts of service and words of affirmation are my love languages, so phone calls from the boys and a surprise lunch delivery from one of my favorite allergy-safe restaurants were all I needed to feel seen and loved.
That said, I did gift myself with experiences earlier in the month: a weekend in Florida to see my bestie, then a fun local ‘play day’ here in PA with my college roommie. As I wrote in last year’s birthday post, I don’t see anything wrong with buying myself a present (or taking a trip) and telling my husband it’s from him. Luckily, he agrees and sees it as a win-win for both of us.
Back in the day, I used to love celebrating my birthday. As a kid, it was all about bringing treats to school and having slumber parties with my girlfriends. In college, birthdays were celebrated for a full week. The year I turned 21, my parents sent a limo to school so I could bar hop with my friends in style.
At some point, my sister and I started celebrating our half-birthdays, too. We were both born in February, so having a day in August to claim as our own felt justified when winter storms ruined our actual birthday plans. Case in point: She and my husband threw me a surprise 30th birthday party on the night of my 29-1/2 birthday.
At some point in my 30s, celebrating my birthday became less important. Maybe it was because I had kids and the focus was on them. Or maybe it was my growing social anxiety. Whatever the reason, the idea of a having a birthday party and being the center of attention became less than appealing to me. A nice birthday dinner, a spa treatment, a new pair of leggings … These are the things that make me happy now. Plane tickets are icing on the cake.
—LJDT
