Birthdays

I just recently celebrated my nineteenth birthday, and it was the first one ever away from my family which was a new experience. I realized some important things on this birthday. I realized most importantly that contrary to what you believe when you are little everything does not revolve around you when it is your birthday. Your birthday should be one of fun times and celebration but also moments of reflection of what is important in your life.

Having my family not be with me on my birthday was a new experience for me. It taught me something though, and that was that they really are very important to me. It taught me that even though they weren't with me to celebrate it on that day they were still thinking about me and they still cared for me. They were with me in spirit instead of in person. Not having them with me reminded me of how much I care about them and how much I love them.

This was also my first birthday without my usual cast of friends around. Yes, I had different friends with me, but not the same ones that I always do which was also a new experience. I realized the same thing about them as I did with my family. I missed them, but I also knew that they still were there with me in spirit. Instead of doing the same things that we always did for birthdays I got a chance to do different and fun things. \

So, contrary to what you might believe about birthdays when you are little they are much more than a day where the whole world revolves around you. Your birthday is, and should be, a day that reminds you of how much other people in your life mean to you. It should be on this too that you take a little time out and thank those people who have gone so far out of their way to make that day a day that is all about you.