The Birthday Liberation of 2009!
For years, I kept my birthday to myself. All throughout my younger years, when I was going to school, I'd see the other students decorate lockers and openly celebrate the birthdays of their friends. Likewise, the people in the special education department (where I got services from) would celebrate the birthdays of the people on their caseload. However, when my birthday rolled around, none of my friends or people in the special education department remembered my birthday. This went on for a number of years, and at one point, I decided to remind someone of my birthday. I got scolded for doing so by one of the people in the special education department, and I spent many years not having my birthday be recognized.
Due to these factors, for years I have held the belief that I don't deserve a birthday. I have had self-esteem issues in my past, and this only added to them. Thanks to my boyfriend, I've been able to overcome a number of my issues, but this one has been lingering...until now This year, I openly asked my boyfriend at the beginning of October, "should I talk about my birthday during the month it happens in?" His response was, "why shouldn't you?" Thanks to that, and him openly talking about my birthday recently, he's slowly making me realize that I do deserve a birthday, and I'm feeling a lot more open about it than I used to.
...and with that, I finally feel like I can comfortably announce that my birthday is tomorrow: 27. October!
I feel so accomplished and happy that I can say that without feeling like I'm gloating or bragging...perhaps I do deserve a birthday after all!
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Alex. I love you so much! <3
Due to these factors, for years I have held the belief that I don't deserve a birthday. I have had self-esteem issues in my past, and this only added to them. Thanks to my boyfriend, I've been able to overcome a number of my issues, but this one has been lingering...until now This year, I openly asked my boyfriend at the beginning of October, "should I talk about my birthday during the month it happens in?" His response was, "why shouldn't you?" Thanks to that, and him openly talking about my birthday recently, he's slowly making me realize that I do deserve a birthday, and I'm feeling a lot more open about it than I used to.
...and with that, I finally feel like I can comfortably announce that my birthday is tomorrow: 27. October!
I feel so accomplished and happy that I can say that without feeling like I'm gloating or bragging...perhaps I do deserve a birthday after all!
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Alex. I love you so much! <3