What Birthdays are Really About

What makes a birthday? First of all, the birth of the person whose birthday is being celebrated.
And then what?
Fairy floss? Ponies? Expensive presents? Consoles?


As a child I used to get butterflies in my stomach even a few days before my birthday. It was an exciting time, to get spoilt, treated nicely and rewarded just for making another year. Effortless reward!

As an adult I looked forward to meaningful gifts and fun with friends- there were so many- thank you really!

In the past, it was looking forward to putting my feet up, relaxing, treating myself to something, not doing housework for a day, eating out, going to expensive dinners.

But just the other day, looking at my young baby, (I was going to write 'little' but he ain't that small!) it got me thinking.

What are birthdays really about?

The fact that this time round, I still had to wake up before 5am, I still had to change pooey nappies, and I still had to make baby food and tidy up the house on my birthday,

that I still sang kiddy songs and did funny faces just to make him laugh,

that I nearly bought myself a bouquet of flowers just to brighten up the house, then realised it may not be so good an idea unless I don't mind cleaning pollen off the whole house and increasing the number of times the word 'N-O' is said in a day,

that I still went out and did groceries and banking,

and that my day was still packed with all the things I usually do. Just like any-other-day.

So I came to realization that birthdays, in all its glory, is not just about me or the person having the birthday.

Because I am still who I am, on my birthday, or any other day. I don't suddenly become wise, clever, beautiful, or special.

Birthdays are about the people who love you. The time spent with them un-buyable, the things done together cannot be done again, their smiles and laughter priceless. Every birthday wish, every present, every smile and every conversation is only possible on the day of your birth if love is present.

So now my eyes are open to what birthdays are truly about.

LOVE is truly the greatest gift of all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.