Me and my first birthday cake
Seat belt on, lovelies and steady as you get ready for a long bumpy ride of this lady’s birthday flops ;)
Happy birthday!!!!
Do have a splendid day!
Make sure you have a blast!
The statement that has me dancing and almost being dorky especially when taking birthday pictures is;
‘Today na your day do shakara!’
Direct translation- It's your day, be corky.
Kids see birthdays as magical because most of their dreams come true.
When birthdays come by it almost feels like it is a day that should stand out above all other days and one should be treated with all exceptionality and speciality.
Pardon me though. I don’t plan to intrude on your birthday rituals.
But this year as I celebrated my birthday, a friend asked me a question that seemed all too natural to her;
“What are your plans for your new year?”
Another…
“Any party planned out?”
Yet from a few,
“Send my cake over!”
Okay. The last one was not a question more like a command.
Even if the only birthday cakes I know I’ve had were in a picture of when I clocked ONE and the other from the best corp member in the world (Miss Ronke) who celebrated me when I was most puzzled about the world, mostly introverted and a non-smiley twelve year old at a boarding house in Jss 2.
Jeez! Digging up these pictures had me trailing down memory lane. Sorry, I digressed. Back to the birthday dealings.
So I probed and asked what they did on their birthdays, my friends I mean. In plain terms these were their response;
- Spending time with family and those dear to them.
- Setting their intentions of what they desire in the future.
- Praying over the future.
- A day to be by myself and relax.
THE BIRTHDAYS I DID WRONG AND ITS IDEOLOGIES
Now here is a transition of my growth in my birthday celebrations or non-celebrations;
I was mostly away from home and at home, my parents weren’t the party and birthday acknowledgement sort. Sometimes I wonder what happened after the celebration of my first.
I have had birthdays where in the boarding house no one remembered my birthday including myself that it passed by like every other day.
To the birthdays when I got angry at my boyfriends or close friends for forgetting it was my day. I would move around in school grumpily and with a frown until it clocked 12 then all hell will break loose as I threw a great fit for a good apology and nice treatment on the day after my birthday. Yeah! I was a drama queen.
To not give a hoot about birthdays cus I felt birthdays were overrated and should not even have existed in the first place.
I met people who were so excited about birthdays and made a show of the gifts gotten and the birthday wishes meted that I started to see the limelight shun on birthdays. At the time I felt the more gifts you got the more loved you were to the more birthday wishes you got the more blessed you were. Wrong ideology I must say.
When I was in my first year at the university, I was broke and could not buy gifts for a newfound friend (she got loads of gifts from friends and admirers, and I could see she loved gifts a lot) So I promised her a gift. My birthday was right after hers.
I guess she saw emptiness in my promise, she took the least of the gifts given to her and placed them under my pillow.
I know it was the least since we looked through her many gifts together with a few other friends, and she had frowned at the earrings that looked cheap.
I appreciated it since I wasn’t keen on gifts. I did well to fulfill my promise.
Birthdays felt like payback time and disliked the act of giving because you gave me.
At a point, it also felt like life was mocking me on every birthday clocked at how old I got. I decided to make exercise a lifestyle immediately after I left high school so I don't ever feel OLD as I grew older.
Whilst roaming through Hive I saw an interesting post from 
When I take great care of myself and include a full exercise regime and a good diet, I can feel as young as 25 years of age. However, if I go for long periods being less active, I sometimes feel as old as I imagine a 90-year-old might feel. Whereas emotionally and mentally I think I lie somewhere between 32 and 38 because I feel young at heart and my attitude and mindset help to keep me young.
A statement from a gorgeous queen in her late forties.
Although in my early 30s I wouldn't put that statement any other way. Exercise does feel good.
I grew and saw the beauty in gratitude, having to be the cause of a broad smile and sincere joy. I know what it feels like to ask your favorite person for a gift and they go all out to do so on your special day because they love you. So... Here is what I do on my birthday.
WHAT I DO ON MY BIRTHDAY NOW
- I express gratitude in prayer for a beautiful year well spent.
- Reminiscing over the year passed whilst having a conversation with my topmost best friend (Jesus). For sure I see the massive difference from who I was a year ago and dot on them. Since prayerfully having a conversation where I pour my heart out, feeling accepted and perfectly understood, I have had genuine peace.
- I prepare meals packed for the people who are going through trying times, who I am sure would appreciate a hot plate of food as I expect nothing but their happiness in return. Their happiness is great satisfaction indeed. I wish I could do it more often.
- I make gifts for myself and treat my loved ones to an exceptional day.
- Then later in the evening, I have a date with myself through strolls or the movies eating my yummy fatty/greasy meals prescribed as not being healthy by the doctors (fries, burgers and shawarma😋).
- Most importantly, I make a wish or several wishes from the one who can do all things. Cus why not, TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY.
To me, I keep tabs on my growth. I compare where I was to where I am and I plan out things to make sure I move forward, getting closer and closer to what I want to accomplish. The accomplishment of purpose. Most importantly I see those around me.
WHAT ARE BIRTHDAYS TO YOU?
WHAT DO YOU DO DURING YOUR BIRTHDAY?
I would love to know.
Thanks for coming this far💕
®️Whitney Alexander