Tuesday, March 8, 2011

BIRTHDAYS, BIRTHDAYS...

When I was 8, I celebrated my birthday by going to school in a red-checked tunic and top stitched by my mother, carrying a bag of toffees for my classmates. Flushed and excited, I was even more thrilled to be allowed to wear the sleeveless tunic without the top later on in the evening. What mother thought would be a concession to the hot evening, was a step towards the joys of adulthood for me.

When I was 18, I celebrated my birthday rather sombrely. My father had died just over a month ago, my twelve-standard exams were looming within weeks. It was a time of change and expectation, of determination to prove myself and a great big lump of sadness that Baba would never again see my birthdays.

When I was 28, I celebrated my birthday with a lot of trepidation. I was pregnant with my first daughter, the delivery was due in May, and I realised that the next birthdays would never be the same again after the life-changing event of motherhood. There was a a kind of desperate gaiety, a clinging to the joys of the carefree pre-motherhood-dom.

Now that I have just celebrated my 38th birthday, I really feel thankful that I am so so busy. And that all I have lost over the last one year was a few kilos of weight. And what I have gained is a new confidence, a lot of work, and a lot of good friends. God keep me busy, happy - and slim - down the next few decades!

6 comments:

dr.antony said...

Being contented with life is the gateway to happiness.You are a happy woman,the rest of it is all easy.
Have lovelier days ahead.And tell us how you celebrated your 80th birthday.

Lazyani said...

Happy Birthday. Enjoy every moment from now on and we would look forward to such delightful blog posts from you over the next 40+ birthdays

seana graham said...

Happy Birthday! Good to see a new blog post from you. And I agree--when I was eighteen--or maybe it was sixteen--I remember being in despair at how little I'd accomplished. The older I get, the less I care about such things and the more gratitude I feel simply to be here, feel well, and be able to do much of what I want to do. It's all in the perspective, isn't it?

Tomz said...

beautiful post which made me happy and sad at the same time

Tomz said...

and wish u wonderful belated happy birthday

Dadinox said...

beautiful post. I´m from Spain and i have a blog recently "Cenizas de Sinceridad" I would like that you were passing to seeing it and though it is with help of the translator and you were giving to me a critique, I will follow your publications. Thanks for all. Bye