November dawns! I start to feel very special. As if this
month is a celestial month of magical things about to happen. I have no clue why I love this month. I think it’s the best month of the year. I feel connected to people who share their birthdays in November. Maybe I have a hang-over from reading too much of Linda Goodman in college. My birthday falls on
Children’s day, that’s another reason why the day feels unique! Now I use it as
an excuse to explain my infantile behavior.
When I turned 12, I once invited the whole neighborhood to my house for cake. My mother had said I could invite who ever I wished and I took advantage of it. It felt so great walking around with a beaming smile announcing to all and sundry that it was my birthday.
Although we are four years apart my sister and I have just a
day in between our birthdays. For both economic and reasons of convenience my
parents preferred to keep our birthday party on 15th November.
(Mine being on 14th and her’s on 16th).
14th November started with festivities. On waking up I would discover goodies kept under my
pillow the previous night.
A vanilla scented
eraser, a chocolate, a tin pencil box or a comic would send my young heart
soaring in glee. My mum being a doctor and always hard pressed for time still
managed to make my favorite dishes on this day. At school a treat awaited me
since all schools distribute sweets on this day. The next day, on 15th,
there would be further gaiety to look forward to.Cousins
and friends would come over with gifts to wish me Happy Birthday! Who was I to
disagree? I was happy on this day too, regardless of me being born a day
before! Everyone pampered me, said nice
things to make me happy and I would be walking on sunshine these two
days of the year!
Cut to the present.The day begins with
cheerful wishes from family and close friends.
I get an fb page full of birthday wishes. My daughter paints me a
beautiful card with loving words. I go
to work as usual. Its children's day and the children have an excuse today to behave
rowdily. We have to be extra polite to them. It’s their day
they keep reminding you.It’s a tiring day for teachers. The dim and
indiscipline often gives me a headache. I come home tired from work and invariably decline my husband's proposal for a dine out. I prefer to curl up with t.v
dinner and some peace.This is how I prefer to celebrate my birthday now.
It feels foolish
these days telling others that it’s my birthday. (Naively doing this right now
on a public portal though!!) I shrink at the thought of someone asking me my age! Whoever
said age is just a number is in denial and needs serious counseling.
That remarkably unique feeling on my birthday diminished
with time. More pressing things need attention now. That magical day when I walked
about with a grinning happy face and childishly announcing to all “It’s my
happy birthday today” is long gone. The starry eyed adolescent grew up after all.Although she did take a long time doing so.
I guess all good
things must come to an end!
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