It’s Wednesday morning and you have to get ready for that 9AM midterm you’ve been studying hard and late for the night before. Oh, and it’s also your birthday. At least that’s how it was for me this year on my special day. Birthdays are a somewhat controversial holiday in some ways. Some people want to make it as extravagant as possible and let everyone know that it’s their birthday. Other’s don’t care and don’t really have any expectations; it’s just another day.
In my case, I’m pretty much in the middle. I don’t like being flashy or showing off that it’s my birthday, but I do like a good surprise party or gift. However, in my nineteen years of experiencing birthdays, my special days have thankfully always been pleasant. I had a best friend in middle school who used to cry on each and every one of her birthdays. I’m still trying to figure that one out…On the other hand, as a resident living on campus and far away from home, I couldn’t spend my actual date of birth with my family, so I spent it with my second family away from home. In college, this is the day you really feel thankful for all the great friends you’ve made. No one wants to be alone and bored on their birthday, no matter how much they deny it.
Wednesday is probably the worst day to have your birthday land on. It’s hump day. The middle day of the week. Should you have celebrated your birthday the weekend before or the weekend after? It’s splat right in the middle of the week. Everyone has classes. For them, it’s a typical Wednesday. You go to class, you do your work. Your professors don’t know it’s your birthday. Your classmates in your 200 person lecture don’t know it’s your birthday. The day just seems typical. This is where your great friends come into play, testing their friendships.
I’m the type of person who loves surprises and is extremely gullible. With this in mind, my lovely roommate was able to pull together a sweet little surprise party with all of my close friends who also lived on campus. The plan pulled together perfectly as she had two friends distract me and keep me company the whole day while she and all my other friends contributed their own little thing into the surprise party. At that point, I’ve never been more thankful for such an amazing group of people. Of course, surprise parties don’t always work out for everyone, and some people truly hate surprises (which I don’t seem to understand), but there are also other sweet ways you could celebrate your birthday on campus. Balloons are a nice gesture, as well as just getting food on or off campus with your close friends and just having a good time together. The important thing about celebrating your birthday isn’t what you do, it’s who you spend it with.