Today is my birthday...

Really it is. See here us a picture of me when I was fresh and new on this day 2.... umm lets just say 20-something years ago. and it has brought me to reflect on birthdays in general. Why is it when we are young we celebrate birthdays with gusto anxiously awaiting each and every one, planning them in months in advance; then when we get to our teenage years we only celebrate the milestones: 13 (officially a teenager), 16 (you can legally drive, woohoo!), 18(now an adult, can legally smoke cigarettes - although most smokers start way before then, but I digress and can join the military), and the final one 21 (legally able to drink now - why can we die for our country years before and cannot have a drink is beyond me, but okay).

And then birthdays seem to lose there importance for the next 30 or 40 years, especially if you have kids . Until you hit your golden years, retirement age and there are the "over the hill" parties sometime in your 50's and 60's. Then the parties slowly start to step back up, to once every five years (75, 80, 85, etc.) until you reach the mighty 100, then you get a big party every year and recognition for your achievement (see getting older is something to celebrate again).

But why don't we celebrate all those years in between? Like what about birthday 35, when you are able to run for president, that should be celebratory too, don't you think? Is it because we are too busy? too broke? to far from our parents? who knows.

Let this year be the year for birthdays of all ages to be celebrated. And lets start with mine! In this past year of my life I have had another child, started blogging, been camping again, and began my cookbook that will someday make me famous. And I for one think that is something to celebrate!