Happy Birthday To You

I hear this all the time:

"Aiyo you poor thing you, don't even have a proper pasmina...when is your birthday? Buy you one then."

"I saw these pair of shoes I think you'll really love, buy for your next birthday, when ah?"

"Kim's birthday's coming up, quick quick quick, what do we get her? Shall we all chip in?? Ok who's in?"

It doesn't matter whether deep in your heart, you really want to give that birthday girl a present or not...generally you get `pressured' into chipping in for that birthday gift that you probably won't get to see till the moment the birthday girl opens it in front of everyone at the party.

Yes I'm also a sucker for `chip-in' birthday gift, why not? These days it's the most convenient method of managing your PR with your friends...who has time to look for individual gift anymore? Sigh.

I used to make presents for school pals from something I already have. Sometimes I recycle gifts (I still think it's an excellent idea) except sometimes I can't share too much of my favourite methods, you see I think I shouldn't impose on others on the 2nd hand goods method.

I'm running the risk of sounding like a sour grape, I got a present from SM this year for my birthday and no one else gave me any physical presents, not even my boyfriend then (he did pay for the hearty meal two days before the day). My birthday was spent on my own (he was out of town then) and his family (whom I was staying with then) was going through a huge turmoil that I was just so happy to be well and good.

Why do we need birthdays to feel special, loved and sucker for gifts? I've heard all sorts of `worldly reasons'...an occasion to show one's love, an occasion worth celebrating, etc.

Celebration of life and love? Hello, shouldn't that be something we do everyday? Celebrate the miracle of life everyday!! Call your mom especially on your birthday to say how much you appreciate her care for you during the nine months and the years after the ordeal she went through.

Celebrate love everyday! Be nice to that birthday girl (which is all of us) everyday, that beats buying her a great nice gift for just once a year. Buy her gifts whenever you feel like buying her a gift. The meaning is deeper when you do buy it when you FEEL like buying a gift for someone.

If you never felt like buying that person who is celebrating his birthday tomorrow, then what are you hoping to achieve by chipping in that gift the others are getting him? That you care for him and want him to have that present that you probably are not the one getting it and probably couldn't care what it is??

Get real (am saying this to myself also), be sincere. Of course I'm not saying you shouldn't buy your boss that present you know he'll like and will therefore promote you to that position you soooo wanted...by all means, do whatever PR work you need for your own sake but if it's a friend, an acquaintance, be sincere.

And if you do care for the person, you don't have to wait for once a year occasion to buy him things, do it whenever, wherever.

Birthday is just another day. So it's Valentine's day, mother's day, Christmas, Halloween, wedding anniversary...

Everyday is worth celebrating. Deal?