Well, I have just celebrated my 33rd birthday. Or, as I like to say it, “The 7th anniversary of my 26th birthday.” But unlike many individuals, I have found myself getting more excited with each passing year. I must admit, as a young boy, I never really looked forward to my birthdays. Perhaps, the fact that I knew that my family couldn’t afford the elaborate gifts that I often saw my peers receiving had something to do with my lack of enthusiasm. Or maybe, it was the fact that my birthday was often overshadowed by the many Mother’s Day celebrations that took place around that time. I’m not saying that I am against the celebration of our mothers; but, let’s face it. When it’s your day, we want it to be YOUR day. But now, as I continue to get older, that excitement that avoided me in years past has come to be the very reason for this post.
Every year, around this time, I like to take a few moments to reflect on the previous experiences of my life and give God thanks for blessing me with, yet, another year to be alive. And this year was no different. I thought of my successes as well as my “failures”. I thought of things shared and lessons learned. I thought of the moments in which I exhibited strength and those moments that I exposed my vulnerabilities in my periods of weakness. I thought of where I had come from and where I am going. Lastly, I thought of my periods of struggle and then those moments of triumph. And, as each thought passed through my mind, it was quickly followed by a resounding, “Thank you, God.” I thanked God for every single moment–the moments of struggle and the ones of victory because whether I was in a period of trial or celebration, it was all a stage of my progression. It was during this moment that I recognized why, over the years, my birthday joy had grown to such a degree.
As a young boy, the fact that I knew that my family couldn’t afford the elaborate birthday gifts that I often saw my peers receiving was disappointing. It was even disappointing to share my birthday with Mother’s Day because at that time, I needed the gifts and public celebrations to validate me. It was through this recognition that I could only experience the joy and happiness that I desired. However, as time has passed and I have matured, I realize that joy is not experienced in the process of getting those needs met; but true joy is experienced in the understanding that those needs are already met. Therefore, as I celebrate my birthday in 2010, I no longer look forward to receiving gifts, but giving them. I now rejoice in the fact that I don’t need the public accolades for my validation as my validation has already come. Again, I thank God for my day, my year, and my validation. That’s birthday joy.