Birthdays and Gifts

Day 243 / 366

The best thing about birthdays, when I was young, was the awesome gifts that came with them. Each year I had something in mind that I would ask my parents to buy me. Then, the gifts that I got from all of my friends were just bonuses.

I think this stopped once I got to college. I had a really close group of friends at college, but gifting wasn’t really a thing. I guess that is how it goes with guys in general, we don’t buy each other gifts.

I’m a grown-up now, and I don’t ask my parents for gifts. I refuse even if they ask me. For the past decade or so, they have forcibly sent me money to buy new clothes for my birthday. I always do so, and those are the clothes that I wear when I go out to celebrate as well. I still get gifts, but those are from people that are really close to me. People who buy me something because they want to, not because they have to.

More than gifts, what excites me about birthdays now is people calling to wish me. Old friends, or distant family members that I haven’t spoken to in so long. It makes me happy that there are still people who will remember my birthday and take the time to call and wish me a happy birthday.