It's my DickyB's birthday which brings me very smoothly onto the subject of... yes, you guessed it... Birthdays!!! There are two very definite birthday camps. Those who love birthdays and those who hate them. I know which category I fall into and I certainly know which category Mrs W falls into!!
Birthdays mark our passage of time on this earth. They mark our successes and failures, forcing us to reflect upon the year that has passed and the time ahead. A reminder that our time here is short and fleeting, limited to the here and now. As my lovely hubby reflected upon his age he pondered on how few years it was until he was 70 (he's a long way from 70 by the way!) whereas I said look at the life we've lived in those equivalent years. The experiences we've had and the obstacles we've faced and over come. The fun and laughter, family times and romantic getaways, the love and hugs that we've all shared. Yes, I too could ponder on my advancing years, I could let my sadness shadow my joy. No, I'm not sad but believe me as a family we don't live in a glittery bubble where nothing happens. We definitely have our fair share of adversities to overcome, who doesn't. As I said to a friend on FB the other day, 'we are all getting older and are a little bit broken'.
So, to me marking the passage of time is something to celebrate. I love getting older, it's a blessing that too many people don't get to experience. There are days when I curse my laughter lines and wrinkles and then I remind myself that is exactly what they are, laughter lines. You don't get them by crying. Like most people, I'm sure, I'm mighty relieved that you can't get lines from crying, my face would be a map of streams and soggy puddles. Not at all attractive! And I'm blessed not to have frown lines, why waste your life frowning upon things that you cannot change. Of course I frown, it's the first facial response to portray our disapproval at something we don't like, whether it's unpleasant or bad, sad or nasty. And yes, I've toyed with the idea of Botox or fillers only to reject it. I'll stick with my lotions and potions. My mum has incredible skin which is down to good skin care and plenty of water.
As a child you wish away your years, each birthday can't come soon enough. You're desperate to grow up and experience that elusive world of adulthood. As an adult you wish that the days, months, and years would slow down. You look upon a certain decade and say that was my perfect age, if only I could go back in time and relive it all whilst knowing what I know now. How perfect would that be. But would it be perfect? Of course not. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but would we really want to change our lives if we could go back in time? Would you really want things to be any different? Yes, I would love my dad back. I would love to have a relationship with my sister. I have lost friends too soon, too young; but all these life experiences make us who we are today. Learning curves upon which we build a better and more caring individual. Hopefully we use these life experiences to not only improve ourselves but to help others who might be going through similar times and need a guiding hand.
Perhaps we should follow the Mad Hatter and co. who make everyday an unbirthday. A reminder that everyday is a celebration of our growth and wisdom. 'A very merry Unbirthday to you, To you, A very merry Unbirthday to you, To you,It's great to Drink to someone, And I guess that You will do, A very merry Unbirthday to You.'
But I'm intrigued as to the origin of celebrating our birthdays.
When pharaohs were crowned in ancient Egypt they were considered to have become gods making their coronation date much more important than their birth into the world. Although it has been pointed to the Bible's reference of a Pharaoh's birthday being the earliest known mention of a birthday celebration (around 3,000 B.C.E.), Egyptologist Dr. James Hoffmeier believes this is actually referring to the Pharaohs coronation date, as that would have been the Pharaoh's "birth" as a god. So we can thank the Pharaohs for starting our birthday celebrations. The Greeks then offered moon-shaped cakes to Artemis as a form of tribute to the lunar goddess. To recreate the radiance of the moon and her perceived beauty, they lit candles and put them on cakes for a glowing effect. So I feel we need to thank them for our wonderful tradition of having too many candles to blow out in one breath. But it seems to be that the Romans were the first civilization to celebrate birthdays for non-religious figures. Romans would celebrate birthdays for friends and families, while the government created public holidays to observe the birthdays of more famous citizens. Those celebrating a 50th birthday party would receive a special cake made of wheat flour, olive oil, honey and grated cheese. Though this was the men only as female birthdays still weren't celebrated until around the 12th century. Excuse me, gentlemen, what was that all about? Grossly unfair methinks.
But today, my lovely DickyB is collecting some of his best friends from the airport. They've flown out to spend his birthday with him. To help us celebrate this passage into a new year. He's known these lovely people since school so there's a long history between them all. Many milestones have been shared. Happiness and grief have affected them all, making their friendship stronger. Today we celebrate. There will be a day of catching up, non stop chatting. Hopes and dreams will be discussed along with plans for our next get together.
And that was last week. The celebrations continued at Geales Posh Nosh British Brunch for a totally decadent amount of food and drink over four hours. Something that people think we do on a weekly basis but actually only do when we have visitors and for special occasions. And the week continued in that fashion as we celebrated friendship and life. Finding joy in old stories and creating new ones that will be regaled at another birthday celebration.
So bring on the birthdays, bring on the memories. Cherish every year that you get to live; the good with bad, happy with the sad. Knowing that we are blessed to be able to talk it all through, reminisce and tuck away in our memory banks for another day.
Happy Fabulicious Birthday my amazing DickyB.
Birthdays mark our passage of time on this earth. They mark our successes and failures, forcing us to reflect upon the year that has passed and the time ahead. A reminder that our time here is short and fleeting, limited to the here and now. As my lovely hubby reflected upon his age he pondered on how few years it was until he was 70 (he's a long way from 70 by the way!) whereas I said look at the life we've lived in those equivalent years. The experiences we've had and the obstacles we've faced and over come. The fun and laughter, family times and romantic getaways, the love and hugs that we've all shared. Yes, I too could ponder on my advancing years, I could let my sadness shadow my joy. No, I'm not sad but believe me as a family we don't live in a glittery bubble where nothing happens. We definitely have our fair share of adversities to overcome, who doesn't. As I said to a friend on FB the other day, 'we are all getting older and are a little bit broken'.
So, to me marking the passage of time is something to celebrate. I love getting older, it's a blessing that too many people don't get to experience. There are days when I curse my laughter lines and wrinkles and then I remind myself that is exactly what they are, laughter lines. You don't get them by crying. Like most people, I'm sure, I'm mighty relieved that you can't get lines from crying, my face would be a map of streams and soggy puddles. Not at all attractive! And I'm blessed not to have frown lines, why waste your life frowning upon things that you cannot change. Of course I frown, it's the first facial response to portray our disapproval at something we don't like, whether it's unpleasant or bad, sad or nasty. And yes, I've toyed with the idea of Botox or fillers only to reject it. I'll stick with my lotions and potions. My mum has incredible skin which is down to good skin care and plenty of water.
As a child you wish away your years, each birthday can't come soon enough. You're desperate to grow up and experience that elusive world of adulthood. As an adult you wish that the days, months, and years would slow down. You look upon a certain decade and say that was my perfect age, if only I could go back in time and relive it all whilst knowing what I know now. How perfect would that be. But would it be perfect? Of course not. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but would we really want to change our lives if we could go back in time? Would you really want things to be any different? Yes, I would love my dad back. I would love to have a relationship with my sister. I have lost friends too soon, too young; but all these life experiences make us who we are today. Learning curves upon which we build a better and more caring individual. Hopefully we use these life experiences to not only improve ourselves but to help others who might be going through similar times and need a guiding hand.
Perhaps we should follow the Mad Hatter and co. who make everyday an unbirthday. A reminder that everyday is a celebration of our growth and wisdom. 'A very merry Unbirthday to you, To you, A very merry Unbirthday to you, To you,It's great to Drink to someone, And I guess that You will do, A very merry Unbirthday to You.'
But I'm intrigued as to the origin of celebrating our birthdays.
When pharaohs were crowned in ancient Egypt they were considered to have become gods making their coronation date much more important than their birth into the world. Although it has been pointed to the Bible's reference of a Pharaoh's birthday being the earliest known mention of a birthday celebration (around 3,000 B.C.E.), Egyptologist Dr. James Hoffmeier believes this is actually referring to the Pharaohs coronation date, as that would have been the Pharaoh's "birth" as a god. So we can thank the Pharaohs for starting our birthday celebrations. The Greeks then offered moon-shaped cakes to Artemis as a form of tribute to the lunar goddess. To recreate the radiance of the moon and her perceived beauty, they lit candles and put them on cakes for a glowing effect. So I feel we need to thank them for our wonderful tradition of having too many candles to blow out in one breath. But it seems to be that the Romans were the first civilization to celebrate birthdays for non-religious figures. Romans would celebrate birthdays for friends and families, while the government created public holidays to observe the birthdays of more famous citizens. Those celebrating a 50th birthday party would receive a special cake made of wheat flour, olive oil, honey and grated cheese. Though this was the men only as female birthdays still weren't celebrated until around the 12th century. Excuse me, gentlemen, what was that all about? Grossly unfair methinks.
But today, my lovely DickyB is collecting some of his best friends from the airport. They've flown out to spend his birthday with him. To help us celebrate this passage into a new year. He's known these lovely people since school so there's a long history between them all. Many milestones have been shared. Happiness and grief have affected them all, making their friendship stronger. Today we celebrate. There will be a day of catching up, non stop chatting. Hopes and dreams will be discussed along with plans for our next get together.
And that was last week. The celebrations continued at Geales Posh Nosh British Brunch for a totally decadent amount of food and drink over four hours. Something that people think we do on a weekly basis but actually only do when we have visitors and for special occasions. And the week continued in that fashion as we celebrated friendship and life. Finding joy in old stories and creating new ones that will be regaled at another birthday celebration.
So bring on the birthdays, bring on the memories. Cherish every year that you get to live; the good with bad, happy with the sad. Knowing that we are blessed to be able to talk it all through, reminisce and tuck away in our memory banks for another day.
Happy Fabulicious Birthday my amazing DickyB.