Birthdays are the one day in a year when it’s okay to be a little less selfless, a little more high and mighty. It’s your special day and the spotlight is on you.  I mean the cake says your name for goodness sake. But what if your mother’s birthday is the day before yours and your cousin’s is the day after and your great aunt’s birthday is the day before your mom’s and then your friend’s is also the day before your mom’s and your step-sister’s is the day after your cousin’s birthday?

 

 

Ten of my family and friends have birthdays in November. It’s a busy month. Most of my birthdays are primarily shared with my mom, which is the least I could do for keeping the labor pains going on her birthday years and years ago, but sometimes the others tag along in the celebration of their own days.  Sharing your special day with people isn’t actually that bad, especially after the age of 16 but as a kid, there were some “cons” that sometimes seeped into the princess mindset.

 

Cons of sharing your birthday:

 

  1. Deciding on the frosting color for the cake isn’t always up to you. Sometimes you have to settle for a pink cake for the second year in a row when your 9 year old self just wants it to be slime green.

 

  1. How about the ceremony itself. Are there going to be multiple happy birthday songs or are we just going to squeeze all names into one awkward string? (Retrospective thought: thank goodness there was never more than one song).

 

  1. How many candles will be on the cake if we’re all different ages? Will we blow them out together? Who will have their wish actually come true?

 

  1. Will my gifts be affected by this combined celebration?

 

 

There are some pros though as well.

 

  1. The week-long celebration is more acceptable since there are multiple days that get attention.

 

  1. Cake for breakfast is less taboo when you’re not alone in the desire.

 

  1. Sometimes you get really lucky and there are multiple celebrations you must attend. For example: Mom’s friends want to go to lunch but you have to tag along.  Mom friends are really good at giving birthday attention to kids.

 

  1. Having a freak-out about your new age? Don’t worry, mom, cousin, step-sister and aunt are older and help keep the crisis to a calm storm.

 

 

Now that we are all separated throughout the country (and world for my cousin in Spain), similar birthdays aren’t an issue.  Or maybe it’s not an issue because I’m over the age of 10 now…. Either way, I can’t complain about another year older, “wiser”, and more time to share with the people I love.  So here’s to making it one more mile (year) of the journey and hoping for new adventures down the road.

 

 

Pictured:   A: Mom cutting our birthday cake circa 1996(?), B: Little Andrea and Madeline (on the right) getting ready for cake circa 1995.