Another Year

My Poppa, my cousin Jenny, and a young Baxter

At 9:53pm today I turn 28. Now, there's nothing wrong with getting older. I have no problem with that. But for some reason (actually several reasons that I can think of right off the top of my head but don't feel like sharing in this particular medium) I just wasn't feeling particularly birthday-y.

And I love my birthday. I usually manage to stretch it out to at least a birth-week, if not a birth-month. Last year we visited O'Connell's, went roller skating because I didn't get a roller skating party as a child, and then re-visited O'Connell's. I had a rockin' bowling party in grad school. I spent one birthday with the men of Playgirl. The past few years have seen me manage to do up my birthday right. This year just felt different. I wanted to ignore it and treat it like any other day. Not because I would be getting a year older--that's not a big deal, that's just life and numbers, whatever. But I just didn't feel like celebrating.

But isn't it great when you have friends and coworkers who don't let you wallow in whatever you might be wallowing in and force you to remember that really, you should celebrate YOU for a day?

That's exactly what happened. Kristyn brought in a blinky tiara, a green lei, and decorated my cubicle while I wasn't looking. She also brought in a delicious cake for the traditional afternoon celebratory birthday carbs. Sam, the new administrative assistant, but a balloon on an inappropriate area of my sailor cutout. My boss bought me lunch. I got a surprise gift from work friend that involved a "find the Sasquatch" game. I have the promise of a gift that was left at home. There were constant shouts of "Feliz Seis de Mayo!" On top of all the text messages, phone calls, and facebook messages from the amazing people in my life, these things truly made me feel special. Not just because it was my birthday, but because I have friends who are willing to ignore me when I say something stupid like "It's technically my birthday, but I'm ignoring it" and make me suck up my stupid issues and have a great time. And most of all, friends that make me smile.

Thank you, friends :-)