The Diary Game 08/06/2025 : They celebrated my birthday for the entire week

My birthday was in the last week of May, and I was too busy online and offline. Moreover, I don't celebrate my birthdays every year, but you know when you're with your loved ones and close friends, it makes you happy to enjoy their company, and such celebrations, even if not so important, become the reason for joy.

 
I am a super senior citizen now.

 

Oh! When I look back at such a long life, I feel that our life is a mix of joys and sorrows, laughter and happiness, pleasure and worries, which we cross slowly and stand at the end of life. I guess my childhood was a mixture of stresses, fun, and carefree, which is probably still a part of my nature.

And yes, starting from my birthday until yesterday, someone was celebrating my birthday even if I was not too keen. Let me start from the day, it was a cold and foggy morning. It felt as if we were in the midst of thick clouds, but that's how Canberra is. My wife wished me first on my birthday. I received congratulatory messages from my friends, and I had to reply to everyone.

I remember my father used to say that a person should consider himself born when he wakes up in the morning. The goal for the whole day should be decided in the morning itself, and the routine should be kept according to it throughout the day.

My birthday is not important because I believe we should only celebrate our birthdays on milestone dates, but most people, especially older people like me, have a weird inferiority complex about their birthdays, and I look at it as a feeling of adding a year to my lifespan or another year gone from my life. But when your family wants to be around you, it's different. Otherwise, your birthday is just another day of the year.

I understand why some people feel like, "If you don't celebrate yourself, who will? But I have often seen people act irrationally and entitled on their birthdays and expect too much from those around them just because they think they "deserve it."

I find this to be a primitive act and one that is forced upon others when people should accept that the day they were born has no real meaning other than the day they were actually born. So thinking this, I also do not give any special importance to this day. But when someone feels it was a special day, how can I stop them?

My daughter said we should follow both the traditions of celebrating birthdays, the traditional way in the morning and evening both. Then I got a message from my daughter as she offered to cut the cake in the evening, so I said yes to her. She brought a cake the previous night and invited our common friends.

That day, she actually wore traditional attire and sat in the traditional way with small lamps.

Then we traveled to Wollongong, as one of my Indian friends had invited us to the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Helensburgh, near Sydney, which is about a two-hour drive from our house.

My friend presented a unique gift as per their traditions, the time spent together, and the memories of the good time we had together. He had written it by hand. You know, the corona is knocking again, so we saw people wearing masks, so I also managed to get one and wore it.

As my friends know, I am not a religious person, but I adjust to everyone no matter what religion or faith they follow. As you can see, I am wearing a red tika on my forehead. After all, humanity is the biggest religion, in my humble opinion; if we respect others' religions, that will help maintain good relations.

We bowed our heads to the almighty in whom my friend and his family have faith and trust, as per our rules, and I felt happy that my family and friends prayed for me wholeheartedly for my long and healthy life.

When I read this paper, I liked their "idea," which tells you that other people care about you. Birthdays are not about you celebrating it yourself. They are about your friends and family telling you they are happy you survived during another year that Earth did around the sun.

It tells you that some of your well-wishers whom you have not seen in a while are still alive and thinking about you. It tells you that you have friends who still like you enough to want to take you out and do something nice for you on 'your' day. They find a reason to meet you.

And it tells you that your friends appreciate you, and even if they don't have much to say but convey their love, they have a big heart and creativity when they make you those wonderful 'Happy Birthday' cards with you holding your friends' hands.

Second, I think of my birthday as a reflection. I reflect on those who came before me, and on my children whose births I witnessed, and on whose lives I will continue to have a meaningful, positive impact long after I am no longer celebrating any more birthdays. I think of my father, may his soul rest in peace, on my birthday, as well as of others who have influenced my life.

I used to think the only birthdays I would enjoy were those growing up. The older I get, the more I realize about my mortality and that every day on this earth is a day I was not guaranteed to live on.

Now I don't give any value to this day as a celebration of my life but also of the lives of others who have made and continue to make my life worth living.

I always try my best to promote social harmony everywhere, including this website, and it is my good fortune that your support in every initiative of mine has doubled my energy.

The weather in NSW was pleasant, so we enjoyed the sun.

We came back to Canberra at about seven in the evening, and here another surprise was waiting for me. My GS had brought a small cake and kept it in the refrigerator. Today, the occasion was just he and me. After all, he is my most loved one on this earth.

Setting aside a day of the year is just a convenient excuse to get together and celebrate life. In the end, it's fair to celebrate birthdays even if it's just to bring joy to others and an excuse to get together.

But the celebration was not yet finished, as on the 7th of June, my GS wanted to have a walk in Eddison Park, not far away from our house, and visit this unique food truck.

 
I express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you Steemians. Your love and support have given a purposeful direction to my life.

In this journey of my Steem life, I have always considered serving this website and the Steem community as the ultimate purpose of my life. From the beginning of my career as a writer to stepping into important responsibilities, my motivation has always been to serve my fellow Steemians.

About 3 years ago, when I first stepped on this website, I had only one dream—to create a blog that is healthy, clean, and empowering. To realize this purpose, I put dedication and honesty into this work every day.