Write about Birthdays

 

No, it's not my birthday, but it is someone's birthday today. A lot of 'someones' actually. So what does writing have to do with birthdays? 

The other day, our quote was from Isabel Allende. She said, "Write what should not be forgotten." Birthdays should be commemorated in writing as well as celebrating with cake and candles, presents and good wishes. No matter how old we are, we remember birthday celebrations and school parties. Some have five stars, and a few make it to only one star for one reason or another.

Mothers and fathers remember 'birth' days. Our parents don't forget the day we were born. There are often funny stories connected or ones of fear if something was not quite right with the birth. Most birth days are happy ones. If you've never written about the day each of your children were born, do it soon. It would be a gift for your them no matter how old they are now. 

Do you have a memory of a special party your parents hosted for you in your growing up years? Write about it. How old were you? Where was it held? Who were the guests? Did you receive a special present? Does one birthday stand out among all the others? 

I can count two birthdays that were very special for me. My twelfth and sixteenth were ones I remember with great fondness. When I was about to turn twelve, the mother of another girl in my class called my mother. Carol and I had birthdays about the same time in May. Her mother suggested a birthday luncheon for the two of us at their house. We had an hour and fifteen minutes for lunch, so there was time. The mothers each made part of the lunch, and the girls in our class were all invited. But the very special part of that day was that our teacher was also invited. Mr. Biddinger was the first male teacher in our grade school, a recent WWII veteran, and adored by every person in our class. He came to our birthday luncheon party and brought a corsage made of pink carnations for each of us. I wouldn't have cared if it had been made of dandelions, for the fact that came from a teacher I loved was the best part. 

When I was a bout to turn sixteen, my mother had a baby, my third brother. She was in the hospital for over a week, which was common at the time, and I was in charge of cooking and more at home. My best friend, Kay, had asked me to come over to her house for an overnight. I told my dad I wouldn't go, would wait until another time. He insisted that I go, that he and the two brothers at home would be fine. He drove me to Kay's house on that Friday night. It turned out to be a Sweet Sixteen Surprise party for me. All my friends from school were there. I was overwhelmed and thrilled. It was the custom at that time for each girl to contribute money to purchase the birthday person a cashmere sweater. Short sleeves, jewel neck, worn with a strand of pearls--a staple in that era (50s). Two special birthdays that I have never forgotten. 

What if you never had a birthday party? That's sad, but it's also worth writing about. It's a part of your personal history. Some families go all out to celebrate birthdays, while others don't make a lot out of birthdays. 

Maybe you have planned a special birthday party for someone else. Why not write about that and add it to your Family Stories book? Perhaps you attended a specail party that is worth writing about. 

Birthday gifts can be expensive, homemade, or a small gift that cost very little. It's not the gift that is important, but the giver and the occasion. There are stories to be written about gifts received. 

Birthdays are worth writing about, from the day of your birth to the age you are now. Milestone birthdays can be memorable, too. Turning 21, or 50, or 80, or 100!