Birthdays.

My own and other people’s.

I don’t like the attention, opening gifts, getting gifts. My main goal on my birthday is not to have to pick up after anyone, cook, do the dishes or referee any arguments. Which, as the kids get older is easier to achieve.

Gifts are not my love language. At all!

Acts of service light me up. Not giant ones. Take out the trash without being asked. Put away the groceries (although I definitely won’t be grocery shopping on my birthday), put away your laundry, pick up your socks.

I’m also not a dessert person so if you pick up donuts in the morning or a cake for after dinner, I know it’s for you. 😉

I don’t mind getting older, a “happy birthday” or a drink with friends or a meal out. I’m not a total weirdo.

I love the kids’ birthdays only because I think about them all day and I like to think that they feel special on that day but I am terrible at gifts so I just ask them what they want or need. Since I’m not a gifter throughout the year, I really don’t care how much what they want or need costs.

Mark, God bless him, sometimes shows up with a bag of junk or a cool something-or-other that they usually love-but I cannot do that so I just don’t try.