It’s my birthday today and all day I’ve felt smothered by it in a way. My wife, sensing my huffiness building, sent me an email a couple of weeks ago asking that I play along with the birthday thing. She shared a story from her childhood and made sure I understood how my emotions might appear to Aydia. Christie is very good at reminding me that our daughter continuously absorbs her surroundings. Truthfully though its been difficult to be excited. Every year it becomes harder and harder for me to justify my birthday being anything more than April 25th. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t some anti-institution sob story. I have no problem with people enjoying their birthday’s, in fact I think it makes me jealous in a way. For me though, I think its the expectation that kills it…you expecting other people to act a certain way, or say a certain thing, and them expecting you to do the same… For my birthday this year I worked 8 hours, picked up my daughter from daycare, bought cheap deep fried Chinese food, picked up the house, and watched How to Train Your Dragon with my sister and Aydia Jane…maybe I am starting to feel my age, because I really don’t think I would have had it any other way. Oh, and I did get some kick-ass cowboy boots…and now I have a whole year to convince Christie that cowboy hats are trendy.
