Overcoming Un-Merry Birthday Memories

Maragold's Fancy: BIRTHDAY - P45blogs.net: "BIRTHDAY

I don't do birthdays. The Gnome says I give him 'mixed messages' because I remind him of the date but when it comes down to where to go and what to do, I avoid commitment.

I realise this. I realise that as the day approaches I get tenser and tenser, not knowing what to say or do. I realise I get irritable.

May I share some of my birthday stories? Sit down, they're long. You may want to pee first because if you wiggle when I get to the teary part I'll smack you.

I am one of six kids (2 older boys, three younger) and my parents had very little money. On our birthdays, around 1 pm we got one present, Mom made a cake, we had hot dogs and crisps and it was all over by 1.15. This was the ritual until I was about ten and the youngest boys finally understood there would be no balloons, entertainment or games and stopped, well, participating is the word I want. No one had a party with friends or relatives.

Everyone's birthdays fall in June, July and August except for mine (likely part of my parent's problem, no time to save up, hmmm, new insight there) One year, my father actually complained when he saw my mother lighting the candles on the third birthday in a month: 'Good lord, it never ends, does it?' He was not kidding. He wasn't smiling and he left the room after we sang the song."


Here's someone who intends to have a happy birthday no matter what. At 43, she's had ONE nice party and she threw it herself. Good for her!

Dysfunctional families. Don't you just love them? NOT.

I admire this lady's determination to overcome it and see the joy and blessing of reaching forty-three. You go, girl!