How do you feel about birthdays? Reactions seem to depend on where you are on the age spectrum. You may be happy about a birthday. You may be happy but feeling a bit depressed. You may be happy but can’t help being amazed.  You may be totally startled.

The four points on the birthday spectrum look something like this:

Happy Birthdays 

Age 1 – you learn parties are fun.
Age 16 – you’re old enough to obtain a driver’s license and drive a car.
Age 21 – you’re old enough to buy alcohol legally and say, “Let’s go party!”

Happy/Depressing Birthdays

The Big 4-0
The Big 5-0

These birthdays are traditionally honored by someone giving you a big party with lots of jokes – of which you are the star.

Happy/Amazing B-days

A retirement birthday.
A senior discount birthday.
A Social Security/Medicare eligibility birthday.

These are any birthdays 55 and after, when you ask, “Geez, when did this happen?”

Happy/Startling B-days

 Any birthday after about the 70th or 75th.

This is when you say, “Wahoo! I’m still on this side of the grass! Let’s go party!”

In the words of this fashionista …

Image courtesy of Design, Design, Inc.

You never want to admit how many you’ve had.

Whether you admit to birthdays or not, whether you like them or not, you can’t avoid them. So you might as well enjoy all the external trappings and traditions: surprise parties, birthday dinners, cakes, cards, presents, family, friends.

But let’s not forget the internal trappings – who you are as a person, whatever your age. The list below works. Gentlemen, simply substitute the word handsome.

Image courtesy of Hallmark

The moral? Wear your birthdays with pride, wherever you are on the spectrum!
You’re fabulous!

(Images are from cards my nieces sent, helping to “make” my recent B-day.)