Ah, birthdays. A day to celebrate your existence with the people you love.
Whether you are a person who loves birthdays, or doesn’t really make a big deal out of them, AT THE VERY LEAST you should use your birthday to cultivate gratitude for being on this planet. However you do that is up to you. I’m sharing three tips that will hopefully help you get excited about your b-day.
PLAN YOUR OWN PARTY
I planned a pretty kick ass birthday party for myself this year and I have zero regrets because it meant I got to do exactly what I wanted (spoiler: it was a spin class followed by brunch and mimosas at my place).
Don’t wait around for your friends to get involved, or for your significant other to make it majestic! You are a grown up, and you are allowed to order yourself a cake.
I’ll refer to my favourite quote (that goes something like this):
“You have to participate in your own life if you want to get what you want.”
The best birthday party I ever went to was for my friend Jane, who is a certified badass. She got a professional cover band to come play in her friends’ living room, and best of all, she picked a wicked set list, there was a mojito bar in the kitchen and everyone was dancing their faces off.
F*ck it, if you want to buy yourself those gold balloons with the numbers and order your friend to take a hot photo of you in front of them, do it. It’s your damn birthday.
TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
If you’ve always hated your b-day, maybe it’s because you have always done shit you hate.
If you don’t really like clubs or bars, then why the hell would you go there on your birthday? If you love dancing and being extra, but you’ve always done something low-key at a friends house, switch it up. Or opt for a daytime celebration like heading to the spa or going rock climbing. Having a night in and making a recipe from scratch might even be right up your alley. Whatever it is, make it special and spoil yourself (to whatever degree you can afford it).
When all else fails, I’d argue that comedy shows are a good pick for a birthday celebration since the opener usually roasts you and laughing is good for your soul. Also Rumour’s Comedy Club in Winnipeg serves alcohol in pitchers so it’s guaranteed to be a complete shit show — if you are into that sort of thing.
DON’T WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT “ACTING YOUR AGE”
What does this even mean??? Tell me. I’ll wait.
How ’bout this: let’s stop judging each other, and let each other live our lives. If homegirl is turning 30, and she wants to wear a birthday sash and do shots, why do you give a shit? You don’t know her story. Say happy birthday and LET THE WOMAN LIVE.
Do what you want, and be true to yourself. You don’t have to stop doing things or wearing things just because you’ve reached a certain point in life. If anything, I’d argue you get a pass to do whatever the hell you want (provided it isn’t evil or dangerous) the older you get. #Wisdom
I say this because I’ve totally caught myself being a judgemental bitch in situations like this and I know now that’s not ok. I’ve since gotten off the high horse, and for my 25th birthday I might ride a mechanical bull. Who knows 😉
https://giphy.com/embed/KijpD6aZWRQ5yvia GIPHY
If your birthday isn’t anytime soon, bookmark this blog post and come back to it. Like wine, this blog post gets better with age (unless it’s boxed wine, then you only have six weeks to drink it).
p.s. PLEASE don’t drink and drive. Ever. Download a taxi app! Call your mom! Leave your car where you parked it and deal with the ticket in the morning! No excuses, k?
— RJH
