This Sunday marked not only Mother’s Day, but the grand finale of Birthday Season. What is Birthday Season, you ask? It is the eight-week period from the end of March to the middle of May in which there are seven birthdays, Easter, and Mother’s Day. Of those seven, three of those birthdays belong to people who live in my house. This year was extra special because my daughter’s tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy was thrown in there for an extra dash of stress and anxiety.
Birthday Season is hard work. It is a time infused with drama. There is nothing like a string of continuous parties to bring out unresolved tensions; it’s kind of like a super amped-up Christmas season.
I know that the stress of entertaining in your home is enough for people to avoid it. However, my love of celebrating birthdays outweighs the unwelcome aggravation. Seeing my son’s face light up when he sees his “Cars” cake while everyone sang happy birthday to him made me happy. Watching my daughter gasp in delight at the sparkly pink and turquoise Barbie decorations made me feel ecstatic. Looking on as everyone devoured the homemade Mexican food I made for my husband’s birthday made me feel overjoyed.
These are the moments I hold on to tight with both hands. I try live in the moment because it’s easy to get lost in the whirlwind of cake and tension. I take joy in the happy times that later become warm, fuzzy memories, yet I’m thankful that it’s over and get excited that summer is almost here.
Do you have a busy birthday season? How do you manage?
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