I love my birthday. Really, I love all birthdays. There is just something about celebrating people and life and happiness that makes me excited. But this year has really changed the way that I think about birthdays.
I feel kind of silly being so excited for my birthday this year. With everything going on in the world is there really anything to celebrate? Is it fair to be excited? I wonder, will people think I’m selfish for celebrating my birthday this year?
I think the answer is pretty simple. Yes, it is OK to be excited and celebrate. You just have to change the way you think about how you are going to make the celebration happen. I normally put on a big themed birthday party, I’ve had luaus, a 90s themed bash, a David Hasselhoff themed party and this year was planning a Golden Girls party but because of COVID-19, my plans this year were put on hold. At first, I was a little upset about it, but then I realized that life goes on and there are much more important things to worry about then my silly Golden Girls party, which can happen next year.
As a mom you’re often so caught up in taking care of everyone else that you forget to take care of yourself. And this quarantine hasn’t made it any easier. I have spent days in the same pajamas trying to remember if I’ve showered because I’ve been so busy taking care of the rest of my family. And I think now it is time to change that. Obviously, I will still take care of my family, but I’m also going to take care of myself more than I have in the past.
So, this year I am taking a different approach to my birthday. Instead of a big birthday bash, I have decided to dedicate my birthday to relaxation. I have plans to get a hot stone massage, a spa body treatment, I’m spending a socially distanced day at Lake Michigan with three of my best friends and hoping to sneak a pedicure in there somewhere. Can you believe that I will be 36 years old this year and have never had a massage before? To say that I am excited would be an understatement.
In addition to my birthday, which is today, by the way, I also have to think about birthday parties for my children and how we are going to navigate those. Do I go with the newly formed birthday parade? Do I have a smaller party where it is easier for us to social distance? Do we just spend the whole day as a family of four celebrating them and who they are becoming as they get older and not have a party this year? I have so many ideas to choose from, I’m just glad I have until September to figure it out.
This year has changed how we view the world around us. We have had to adapt and accept change with little time to think about it. If this were any other year, I know that I would be very upset that my birthday plans have changed but I think through the quarantine I have learned that not everything will go the way we think it will or should go. They say “It’s my birthday and I’ll cry if I want to” but I don’t think that this year I will cry. Unless, you know, the tears come from being so relaxed that I cry because I’m that happy.
Steph Hightree is a hot mess mom who is fueled by stress and too much caffeine. She is a Three Rivers native who talks about the good, the bad, and well, everything else about parenthood.
Any views or opinions expressed in “#MomLife” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Watershed Voice staff or its board of directors.
