Trares
The same question arises time after time.
Whenever someone learns that my birthday is Dec. 29 — just four days after Christmas — they have the same reaction.
“Aw man, do you get shorted on presents?”
This was more of a panicked question when I was a kid, as my friends and classmates couldn’t fathom just getting one batch of gifts instead of their deserved two over the course of the year.
To be honest, it was never a problem for me. Growing up, my parents and all of our family were very careful to be sure we had our holiday celebrations, then a distinct day for my birthday. Not once that I can remember did Christmas and my birthday get mashed together.
There were complications, of course. Because we were out of school on winter break, there were no opportunities to bring in treats for my classmates. All of my new clothes and fun toys came in one fell swoop.
Wedged so close to the holidays, it was difficult to have big parties (that’s still the case — it’s hard to rally people after days of Christmas celebrations and with New Year’s Eve on the horizon.)
Still, I never felt deprived. If anything, it made the whole week between Christmas and New Year’s feel like a party. Every day seemed like it had a big event, from family celebrations to special dinners to weekday activities.
Now that I’m an adult, it still leaves that impression. Birthdays don’t hold the same importance as they did when I was a kid; I’d prefer to not dwell on the fact that I’m another year older.
But our family takes days off of work throughout the week, and try to do something fun with the leisure time. Recently, we’ve tried to make it a fun day for Anthony, whether that’s going to see the holiday train display Jingle Rails at Eiteljorg Museum, going bowling or taking advantage of the dwindling crowds at the Indianapolis Zoo.
My wife and Anthony both put great effort into making my day special, so even if there’s no big bash, it still feels like a celebration with their thoughtful gifts and morning cup of coffee.
And of course, we plan a nice meal — it’s pretty much my one opportunity to pick whatever I want to eat, no complaints allowed.
So as I turned 43, it was an opportunity to reflect and look forward to the next year. I’m excited to learn new skills, see new places and meet new people. Another year is a chance to see Anthony continue to grow up, and for our family to keep having wonderful experiences together.
Keeping that perspective means, even if my birthday got lost in the shuffle sometimes, the potential of another year is the most rewarding gift I could ever receive.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
