Editorial: Birthdays are Weird
The North American birthday celebration phenomenon is fascinating to me. We gather together with big or small groups of family and/or friends. Goofy games are the norm. The climax of the whole event is cake (with candles) and presents. Like, what? Whose idea was this?
What especially intrigues me is that, on the day of our birth, we did nothing. In fact, we were the source of great pain and exhaustion for our poor mothers. If anything, they should receive gifts on our birthdays. But, the tradition marches on as it has for decades: A flaming cake sits before us. Others sing a hokey song as we sit, stare, and smile. They tell us to make a wish and blow the candles out, then we eat the tasty dessert and rip open wrapping paper.
Every year I’m faced with a paradox on the anniversary of my birth: I don’t want to be the center of attention, but I also don’t want to be totally forgotten. It’s so silly. I should be grateful for whatever way I’m remembered by the people closest to me. But, I should also be grateful if the day slips through the cracks. What matters is that the Lord has seen me through another year of earthly existence, and I know that He hasn’t forgotten anything.
For the last several years I’ve also had something of an existential crisis around this time. Who am I? Is my identity, and are my actions, pleasing to the Lord? This one haunts me the most: would little Julia be content with who I’ve become?
The first year this happened was when I was turning 21. I was a junior in undergrad, and (unbeknownst to me) we were about four weeks from the outbreak of COVID. My older sister and I chatted over the weekend, and I asked her, “Am I too young to have an existential crisis?” “Probably not,” she answered. We went on to talk about how we didn’t know what our 20s would look like when we were younger – when we were still idealists about the future. Even four years ago, and likely earlier, we realized that life doesn’t usually turn out the way you’d expect.
Whether you view them as good, bad, or otherwise, birthdays come every year. At their worst, they symbolize commercialism, past regrets, and future dread. However, they offer a great opportunity at their best. Birthdays can be a chance to remember God’s goodness over the past year, as well as His provision for us to be here in the first place. Our community tends to be in action on these days, so it’s also an opportunity to be grateful for the people in our lives. Whether or not we made it to where we hoped we’d be, may we give all the glory to God every day of our lives.
This article is by Julia Hotchkiss, Alumni Office student worker.
Leave a Reply