Celebrating existence

D turns two this month. It means we have been together for exactly 33 months – he and I. I find it difficult to believe that. Can’t be that less! I feel like I have known him all my life. I can’t, for the world of me, remember how my being was before he came.

The husband and I were pondering over how we could make the day special for D. Some of his peers’ parents had thrown fancy birthday parties for them and we had been invited. They were no doubt the best – with the best of food, games, cake and of course return gifts too.

We hadn’t celebrated D’s first birthday. It was a decision the husband and I made because we knew our child’s tolerance levels towards strangers were on the lower side. At 1, he hated being surrounded by too many people, too many things and too much hullaballoo. We wanted a quite celebration for him letting him do what he loved doing.

The husband took the day off from work. We settled on a simple plan. We cut a small cake for him in the morning (he was beaming when he saw a farm complete with tiny animals all in chocolate). Then we took him to meet his two great grand-mothers (what better way to feel special than to experience love at its best), to a restaurant (those were the days when food was still special to him) and to the city zoo (though that was a big disappointment because all we spotted were some half dead animals).

He smiled a lot that day. We did too!

Twelve months and a day care centre later, things have changed a bit. He doesn’t mind being surrounded by people now. So a party may not sound like such a bad idea after all. The big question is – Is that how we want to make the day special for him? I have never been much into grand celebrations. I think they are all fanfare and when it comes to birthday parties for one and two-year-olds (especially ones like mine), they might just end up feeling out of place in their own party.

That doesn’t mean I am one of those who shrug my shoulders and say, “What’s so special about a birthday. It’s like any other day.”

No, birthdays are special. They are days when people make an effort to remember you, when you open those gaily wrapped packages (I think those who say they don’t care about gifts are most often lying) and peer into those birthday cards, when you turn a year older and perhaps a little wiser.

It’s just that I want a simple celebration that D enjoys. He may perhaps not remember this day, but we certainly will! That naughty smile of his, that tight hug, that wet kiss, that non-stop chatter will be all the more special that day.

For him and for us, we just want to celebrate the day we got our share of the sunshine!