Every year could be the most memorable birthday if you wanted it to be. Maybe you had a big extravagant party, where everyone from all corners of your life attended. Or you had a special dinner with your friends, a mini picnic with your partner, or a romantic getaway with your family. It gets memorable in its kind of way. On the other hand, there are birthdays which we’d rather forget due to the traumatic events they brought. Remember that friend who was burying her mother on her birthday or a car accident that happened on the way to the birthday party? It also marks the most memorable birthday, or should I say the most ‘unforgettable’ birthday. It might not be the best birthday, but the fact remains, it will never be forgotten.

Birthdays are a new start, a fresh beginning and a time to pursue new endeavors with new goals. Move forward with confidence and courage. You are a very special person. May today and all of your days be amazing!”

Unknown.

The question is – do we stop celebrating or not, no matter the traumatic memories it brought? It can be difficult because life is the most precious gift we can ever ask for. Each year is a blessing. And it is meant to be celebrated. We should not allow one traumatic event to halt us in celebrating many other precious years ahead. It might not be easy, but you have to celebrate the gift of life.
I know of people who do not celebrate birthdays at all, not because something happened. Only due to reasons, known by them. Years pass by, and they still do not see the need to celebrate. A birthday to them is just like any other day. Just as other people who do not celebrate Valentine’s, Christmas, and other special days, so is the birthday.

Some families go all out to make their birthdays memorable. It’s like they have a budget for every family member’s birthday. If it’s not an extravagant party, it’s a birthday holiday for few days in the seashores. Unlike my own, we are not a big fan of parties and expensive holidays. We would rather have an intimate dinner with a few relatives and friends and enjoy ourselves together.

Every year is special to me, and I am grateful that I never had any traumatic events to look back to on my birthdays. The only anxiety I had was to make my birthday extraordinary more than the previous one. I am turning 26 today, and I am so grateful to God for the gift of life. In today’s post, I would like to share three of the most memorable birthdays I’ve had in my life.

My most memorable birthday at sweet 16.

I remember waking up and having my morning devotion as always. But on this particular day, the devotion was different. I prayed an earnest prayer to the Lord, thanking Him for the gift of life. I went to school so joyful, and very few of my friends knew about the birthday. Very few sang for me, sent beautiful messages, and wrote some heartwarming poems, which I truly enjoyed reading. After school, I went back home, and by that time my mom had not come back from work. I already knew that would come back with a cake and some snacks. Because we did not have much, we had the luxury of eating a cake only when it was someone else’s birthday. However, things have changed now, we can afford to eat a cake whenever we feel like it. So you can imagine, that was what I expected from mom – a cake. My mom came back from work with a cake as expected. And I was so happy about it. I think as a sixteen-year-old girl I should have expected more. I wanted a ‘cool’ gift for my sweet sixteen. But I had no choice because a cake was what she could afford at the time. It meant the world to see what my mother bought for me. In the evening we lit the candles on the cake, and they sang beautiful birthday songs to me. I then had to blow the candles and made a wish. I remember how short and sweet my wish was. “I want to be rich when I grow up”, I said. Everyone clapped and cheered me up. I am yet to see the wish coming to fruition in the nearest future. I never forgot this birthday because of the love I received from my family and neighbors. That truly made my birthday the most memorable over the years.

Memorable birthday at 20 years.

I was in my sophomore and life was a little comfortable because I was still dependent on my mother for everything. The memorable thing about this birthday was how eager I was to seek my spirituality and purpose. ‘A whole 20-years-old child. Everything I did was so intentional. I made sure it was aligned with my spirituality. Most of the year I spent it in solitude. I realized that solitude was an effective place for me to remain focused. I sought after acquiring wisdom and understanding my purpose. It felt good to effortlessly study the word of God, spent time in prayer, and read multiple faith books. I became ‘spiritual’ as my friends would jokingly say. Few days towards my birthday, I decided to go to a sacred place to deepen my relationship with God even further. The place was located just outside town. It is quiet and sacred. There was no noise, no food, and fewer interaction interactions, especially social media. The place was located for people to come and pray, fast, and consecrate without any disturbance. You see it can get a bit difficult to fast when you are home because of temptations around you. But at this particular place, everyone is fasting, reading the word, and praying. I spent time there for five full days, without food. I could feel my spiritual self being revived, restored, and rejuvenated. I had a heavy heart before I went and a lot of questions concerning life. But my time at Prayer Tower ( name of the place) put everything into perspective. I began to have a different outlook on life. My love for God grew, and I began to be more compassionate towards people. I was no longer complaining a lot about what I did not have, but began to be more grateful for what I already had. It was my most memorable birthday because of the lessons I learned, and the fact that It was spent in the presence of the Lord. It felt right.

Memorable birthday at 25 years.

Memorable birthday when I turned 25
I remember I had already started working, and as much as adulting is not nice, life felt easy. I was enjoying my ‘sweats’ of hard work. Hahaha. Please don’t judge me. I had been unemployed for too long. So finally getting a job and earning my salary was a relief to both myself and my mother. We had been working on a big project for our company as a team. My seniors tasked me to make sure everyone executed their tasks as expected. It was a huge responsibility, and at some point, I truly wanted to give up. I was already exhausted. Luckily I worked with extraordinary people who tirelessly worked day and night on the project to see it a success. The date of the launch was chosen to be on the 30th of September, yes, on my birthday. I was just too busy to plan anything special for myself. The success of the launch became a memorable gift to me. I was so proud to see our hard work finally coming to fruition, and the fact that it was on my birthday – was a red cherry at the top. The memory is still stuck in my mind and embedded in my heart.

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Birthdays are indeed special, and ought to be celebrated. Life is precious, and we should live it to the fullest, leaving no stone unturned. Let every year be the most memorable birthday in your life.

Please let me know your memorable birthdays. I am going to get a camping chair in the comments section, as I read your lovely stories.

From my heart to yours
Cheers!!

Please do not forget to check out my recent posts below:

• Happy Women’s Day
• The Madishas – Varsity Connects
• The Kamberes – Love at first sight
• Beauty has no limits
• Love Kinks