If you had read my
post last year on S’s birthday, then you already know how particular I am about
celebrating, well,
birthdays. For me they are very special occasions, not to be trivialized at all. They are about
gifts,
cakes, grand dinners and more importantly about celebrating life.
After
all it's a day on which you were given an
opportunity to step into this world, live a life and maybe even make a difference
or two.
What happened last year? Let's recap!
Back to the present day.
After all that transpired last
year, I had a lot to plan, a lot to do. I couldn’t let S have a boring birthday
after my outburst the last time around, could I?
But as luck would have it, I fell ill just a week before the special day. Such was my bad fortune that I was hospitalized as well. So, by the time I was discharged,
all that my body wanted was rest. There was no stamina left either to plan or celebrate. You have no idea how hard it is for me to even admit that. Yes, somehow the birthday buff in me wanted to be left in peace. It was as if someone had
punctured the air out of my birthday balloon. As if the sun had finally risen from the west!
The universe had conspired to
give S the kind of mellowed down birthday celebration he always wanted.
So, what did I eventually do?
Well, I got a cake which he cut over an hour before midnight, even before his
birthday actually began. He wanted me to rest even if that meant cutting his cake early. That's S for you, always putting me before himself. And even though every cell in my body wanted to protest, somehow I accepted his suggestion. Don't judge me, at least there was a
cake this time around!
His gift was
something simple too, not what I would have picked ideally. But again I resigned to his wishes
there. The lethargy and weakness in my body seemed to have colluded with S so
that the day passed in as low-key a manner as he desired.
Next instead of that grand dinner we opted for lunch outside. S knew though that I was dying inside for not being able to
throw him that huge, memorable birthday party I had initially planned. So, to
keep my heart he asked me to choose the restaurant. Isn't he sweet? That’s how we ended up at ‘
The Fatty Bao’
for lunch.
A quiet lunch followed by a restful evening at a friend's place, that was how we celebrated S's birthday this year. No, not how I would have liked but again
it wasn't so bad either.
Tell me how you celebrate birthdays?
Do you feel the pressure when the birthday of your loved one is around the corner?
What do you do?