Birthday Season

So my 20th birthday was this past Saturday and it has come and gone just as swiftly as it does every year. I had a tough time finding the significance of a twentieth birthday, but a close friend pointed out to me that it's the end of your teenage years. She said that there might be times we're sad that it's over, but that the nice thing is we can always act like a kid, it's something that never leaves us.

Anyway, birthdays are great for a lot of reasons. The most obvious reason being the fact that we get presents.

Whether it's something store bought and material or something sentimental made by hand, the fact of the matter is that presents are fun to get. We can kid ourselves and say that we don't need or want anything for our birthday, but when it comes time to unwrap a present we rip through the wrapping paper like savages.

Another reason birthdays are nice is because we usually get a chance to talk to or see our family when we might not on any other normal day. Without family, birthdays wouldn't mean nearly as much. 

One final reason why birthdays are so great is that you get to see who comes out of the woodwork to wish you a happy birthday. As long as you're enslaved by the social media deathtrap that is Facebook, you will receive impersonal birthday wishes from your virtual 'friends.' I received an enormous amount of Facebook-wished happy birthdays. And hey, there's nothing wrong with that. I won't ever turn down a happy birthday wish, I'm just saying it only counts for so much. The real birthday wishes are texts, phone calls, or an actual face to face interaction. 

Now that I've spoken in general about birthdays I feel I should talk about my own.

I had an awesome birthday. 

Friday night when midnight rolled around I was surrounded by my teammates. It was nice to spend the first few hours of my birthday with my newest group of friends.

I got to see my family for breakfast a few hours later and it was as delightful and uncensored as usual. It was nice having mom, dad, and Jenny all there. I guess I forget how, um, dynamic my family is when we're all together. (Yes, dynamic is just a polite way of saying that we're dysfunctional and deranged.) In addition to seeing them, it's always nice to show my favorite breakfast place to four new people.

After breakfast I sort of just hung out. Didn't go anywhere or do anything too crazy...Except helping to make a blueberry pie,. That was pretty insane given my baking history. I just hung out and talked and enjoyed my day. And after spending the majority of the day relaxing I got to go to the Pirates game. It was a bit chilly, but it was a gorgeous, clear night and I had great company. Plus it was fireworks night and that was the perfect way to end to my day. 

Looking back I received an incredible amount of birthday texts and calls and I can't help but feel lucky. Lucky to have so many people in my life reaching out to me to make my day special. 

So thank you to everyone who made my day what it was. Whether you were a birthday caller, texter, or whether I got to spend my day with you, you made my day extremely special. 

I'll end with some poetry because why not? 
(Admittedly I just threw this together in a few minutes, so don't expect much from it.)

The Birth of City Lights
I'm born out of darkness, 
shown light for the first time.
So I cry,
for the light is new.
If only I knew then,
how light inspires life.

As I grow,
I befriend the light.
Chasing her,
in her many forms.
Flick a switch for light,
or close your eyes for night.

Over time I've found light,
in early morning sunlight,
and midnight moonlight,
in a candlelight vigil,
and a passing car's headlight.

So I feel I've come to know light,
to love light,
to see light.
Whether light as natural as the stars,
or the glimmering manmade city lights.

I've seen so much light,
contrasting so well with the dark.
And yet,
I don't know the prettier sight.
A firework's glow that lit up the skyline,
or the smile that lit up your face.

NP: Flowers In Your Hair- The Lumineers