Want my Birthday? You can HAVE IT!

I'm too old for birthday parties!

I do love ATTENDING birthday parties, as long as they are for someone else. This whole attention thing has got me all emotional...and not in a good way. I get crabby!

I have a dear sister, whom i love but that is of the total opposite brains that i am. She LOVES her birthday! She loves the gifts, the attention and the love that comes with having family and friends around that loves you and wants to share the special day. Perfectly fine, and frankly, pretty darn normal!

I on the other hand, am ok if you don't remember. I don't take it as offensive that you just forgot that it was the day i was born. It hinders our friendship not one bit. I will love you despite that fact.

My favorite birthday up to date, has been the one a few years ago when i was at work and people kept coming up to me to say Happy Birthday and so after lunch (which i was too busy to eat because of people talking to me) and the cake and all that singing, i just couldn't take it anymore, so i told my boss i was "OUT OF THERE"! I left for the day. I took the afternoon off and went straight to taco time. I got food, drove home, dragged my tv and dvd player into my room and sat in my bed, eating my yummy food and watching a movie. At 1pm. Then, i promptly took a nap.

Of all the parties ta ht i have had, all the fun times and going outs and family dinners. That is the one i remember the most. It was what i WANTED to do. It was all by myself and i was being rebellious by eating in my bed, in the middle of the day, when i should have been at work being productive.

Low key is the key!

Now we get to this year.

I have no car to flee from this place. I have to option of NOT going to classes. I had to endure the day filled with well wishes and hugs above and beyond what normally are given out.

I got a phone call from daddy at 5:30am. Bittersweet phone call. I'm sure if it was daylight out, i might have remembered something about it. I promptly fell back to sleep.

I awoke later in the morning to the sound of the other girls singing happy birthday to me in the hallway. Nice thought, but please, do me a favor and let me sleep. Just cause you are up doesn't mean the rest of us have to be! (i start the day out crabby!)

I shower and get ready and head down for breakfast. I meet up with a few people that say happy birthday and i gracefully accept and say thanks and eat my breakfast. I then head to class.

First period. The whole class sings Happy Birthday to me. I smile, and wait for it to be over and for these crazy people to stop looking at me.

Second Period. The whole class sings to me. again. same people.

Chapel. The whole school sings to me. Make me stand up. I am totally uncomfortable with it.

Tea Time. I am in the hallway talking to a teacher as i was not interested in eating anything or having coffee. Simon comes up to me and tells me that i need to come to the cafeteria because people are starting to get restless and they need me there. I don't know what he is talking about but am not done with my chat so the teacher walks with me as i let Simon lead me to the cafe. I walk in, still talking to my teacher friend and everyone starts to sing Happy Birthday to me. There are 5 cakes on a tray that Simon had bought to share. I was totally surprised and stunned and was so happy when the song stopped. I said my shy Thank You and walked over to the tray. I was told that because it was my birthday i had to have a piece of each of the 5 cakes. I am not a big fan of the cakes there, but i wanted to be polite. I was able to get Simon to just let me have two, and said that i would try the others if there was some left. He seemed ok with that. They were actually alright.

Everyone finished up and left for classes. I had a free period for Third period so that was nice. I was able to stay in my room and get some things caught up. Wrote some emails and got responded to facebook notes.

Fourth Period. They whole class sang to me again. At this point, i was getting annoyed. I smiled, said thank you and asked if we could continue with class. TOO MUCH SINGING!

Lunch came and i was escorted to the front of the line to get my food. So nice of them. That is did appreciate! I was hungry! I sat down and started eating when i got a phone call from a friend calling to tell me that he can't talk now but that he would call me later. Very confusing on my part, but i just said ok and let it be. I never heard from him again. Some people are weird.


After lunch i had another free period, so i used the time to lock myself in my room and get some work done. Knowing that my evening was busy i needed to get some homework accomplished. I came out around 4:30pm and started to get my evening set up.

See...i was having a party. The girls like to have birthday parties here, But they are not able to afford any sort of party, and they way it works here is you throw your own party for the other people. It's a chance for other to come say Happy Birthday to you. I had agreed to do it and got permission to have it downstairs in the staff lounge. This was a big deal. It had to get approved by the Board of Administrators and everything! The party was planned for 6pm so i started to do the set up at 4:30. I had been shopping the weekend before and bought items needed to make taco's and fruit salad. Something that i miss dearly! I LOVE TACOS!

A friend and i were able to get everything set up in time and people arrived on time and it started out wonderful. It was actually nice to have the people there. It was a girls only party most because i could not afford to feed the guys! We had dinner and a movie planned. We ate dinner, listened to music, took silly pictures and danced for two hours. Then, we decided to cut the cake. More singing.

I blew out my one candle and they started to dish while everyone sat around me and started going around the circle telling me why they appreciated me. It's a tradition they do here at every party that i have been to. People are given the chance to speak into the birthday persons life and give them any advice they want or to just say thank you for being a friend. It really is a nice tradition. I was very uncomfortable as they went around the room, but what they had to say was very nice and very uplifting and it made me feel good. Basically, they like me. I am accepted and they are all really sad i am leaving.

After the speeches...yes, i had to give one as well...everyone stood around me and we had a time of prayer. It was so powerful to feel the prayers of my friends. Speaking into my life and giving me the confidence to be myself and become whoever God wants me to be.

After that it was nearly 9pm so a few people had to leave as it was a school night and several had big papers due the next day. The rest of us that stayed, just 6 of us, sat down and watched Grease. We sang along as loud as we could and laughed the rest of the time. I think that was my favorite part. Just enjoying a few friends and making memories by laughing and having a good time.

In the end, i had a good birthday. As relieved as i was to get it over, i must admit being around my friends all day long did make it a happy day. I may sound cynical about a lot of it, but i do enjoy hanging out with friends and allowing them to show me if they appreciate me or not.

One day a year is definitely enough for a birthday!








Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for allowing me to have a good birthday! I love all my friends here and appreciate the friendship they give me. I will remember them forever from this time in my life. I pray that you will be with each of them this next year and guide us all into the will you have for us.

I love you!

Heidi