November 1 is not Halloween
I take personal pride in standing up for October 31 as Halloween. I do this not because I am overly fond of the holiday (witch I am,) yet instead I do this because I believe when you take away the date of a special day you are removing the special that surrounds it. Let me explain...
I was born on June 17th, 1984; a Sunday, Father's Day. I was the first born child to David Walden, which means I still hold the reigning title for "World's Best Father's Day Gift." It's a cool statement to make actually, My Father wasn't a father until Father's Day. Five years minus 5 days later, my sister Sarah was born on June 12. For a majority of my childhood I remember sharing my birthday celebrations with my sister because it was convenient for everyone, it didn't matter there was a 5 year age gap, and I really didn't like her...we still had one joint birthday party. We shared our birthday every year...on her birthday. My birthday fell too close to Father's Day, or in some instances on it and family only needed to gather once a week to celebrate. I lost my birthday due to a scheduling conflict.
Bless her heart, when I was 12 my Granny let my Step-mom know she didn't think it was fair that my sister and I had to share a birthday because we were two different people. Immediately following, my Step-mom went to great lengths to separate our celebrations which was awesome... but the tricky part... we started celebrating my birthday on Father's Day because...family only needed to gather to celebrate something once a week. I lost my birthday to a scheduling conflict. Again. Now, I'm sharing it with my Dad, Uncles and Grandpa.
Coming from a divorced family I split every holiday including Father's Day and Mother's Day. So, not only do I not get to celebrate my birthday at one family gathering, I must then leave half way through and celebrate Father's Day at another gathering where my birthday gets slipped in with a "don't make people feel bad for not bringing you a card because they're celebrating Grandpa today"pep talk. Seriously, this is my real life.
This has been a long prelude to my actual point... My birthday got lost because it was more convenient to have it on another day. My friend's are awesome and celebrate whenever I ask or whenever they surprise me. My family has since altogether stopped celebrating my birthday on June 17th, unless it happens to fall on Father's Day. On my Mom's side I am a secondary candle on a cake that reads "Happy Father's Day Grandpa!" and quick gifts before my extended family arrives. On my Dad's side I'm at a Father's Day cook-out with a cake for me. (Crybaby side note: my sisters' get the family taken out to dinner, including significant others and friends, on their actual birthday, to a restaurant of their choice...from each parent.) I lost my special because it was convenient.
This year on Father's Day when my dad and I traded gifts (which is another story in itself) his card inscription made me cry, "My favorite part of Father's Day is sharing it with you." I realized Father's Day has always been about him and me and that in itself is more special than my own birthday. I still have the opportunity to celebrate something special on the true date, a date that we all started to forget about because we moved it to make it more convenient. June 17 is a bitchin' holiday. It's mine and that's the day you're supposed to celebrate ME. (Shout out to the party crew from this year's birthday, ya'll rock!)
October 31st is Halloween. Celebrate it any other day and your kids are just beggars in strange outfits.
Party on.
I was born on June 17th, 1984; a Sunday, Father's Day. I was the first born child to David Walden, which means I still hold the reigning title for "World's Best Father's Day Gift." It's a cool statement to make actually, My Father wasn't a father until Father's Day. Five years minus 5 days later, my sister Sarah was born on June 12. For a majority of my childhood I remember sharing my birthday celebrations with my sister because it was convenient for everyone, it didn't matter there was a 5 year age gap, and I really didn't like her...we still had one joint birthday party. We shared our birthday every year...on her birthday. My birthday fell too close to Father's Day, or in some instances on it and family only needed to gather once a week to celebrate. I lost my birthday due to a scheduling conflict.
Bless her heart, when I was 12 my Granny let my Step-mom know she didn't think it was fair that my sister and I had to share a birthday because we were two different people. Immediately following, my Step-mom went to great lengths to separate our celebrations which was awesome... but the tricky part... we started celebrating my birthday on Father's Day because...family only needed to gather to celebrate something once a week. I lost my birthday to a scheduling conflict. Again. Now, I'm sharing it with my Dad, Uncles and Grandpa.
Coming from a divorced family I split every holiday including Father's Day and Mother's Day. So, not only do I not get to celebrate my birthday at one family gathering, I must then leave half way through and celebrate Father's Day at another gathering where my birthday gets slipped in with a "don't make people feel bad for not bringing you a card because they're celebrating Grandpa today"pep talk. Seriously, this is my real life.
This has been a long prelude to my actual point... My birthday got lost because it was more convenient to have it on another day. My friend's are awesome and celebrate whenever I ask or whenever they surprise me. My family has since altogether stopped celebrating my birthday on June 17th, unless it happens to fall on Father's Day. On my Mom's side I am a secondary candle on a cake that reads "Happy Father's Day Grandpa!" and quick gifts before my extended family arrives. On my Dad's side I'm at a Father's Day cook-out with a cake for me. (Crybaby side note: my sisters' get the family taken out to dinner, including significant others and friends, on their actual birthday, to a restaurant of their choice...from each parent.) I lost my special because it was convenient.
This year on Father's Day when my dad and I traded gifts (which is another story in itself) his card inscription made me cry, "My favorite part of Father's Day is sharing it with you." I realized Father's Day has always been about him and me and that in itself is more special than my own birthday. I still have the opportunity to celebrate something special on the true date, a date that we all started to forget about because we moved it to make it more convenient. June 17 is a bitchin' holiday. It's mine and that's the day you're supposed to celebrate ME. (Shout out to the party crew from this year's birthday, ya'll rock!)
October 31st is Halloween. Celebrate it any other day and your kids are just beggars in strange outfits.
Party on.
My birthday is the week of Thanksgiving, I am fortunate enough that it wad a holiday that focuses on everyone being together and saying thanks, vs another persons bday. I treat the entire week as everyday is my bday. Great post P. ASH! -The Legiom of Blue
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