Don't Remember Your Birthday

I was alone this past Saturday as I "celebrated" my birthday. Honestly, I didn't really celebrate because a party for one isn't as much fun as it sounds.

Two of my brothers had this feeling when they celebrated birthdays in warzones. One of them sent me an email and told me the best way to handle a birthday alone is to not even make the day special. Don’t think about it or you’ll get depressed. For the most part, I took his advice.

But, I gave myself four simple moments to remember that it was a less-than-ordinary day:

1. I skyped with my parents. My Mom and Dad are the epitome of amazing and have sacrificed so much to give me the life I know lead. I carry them with me in all my endeavors and they are the strongest people I know. Being thousands of miles away makes me miss them so much. But, it was great to see them as they awoke in Colorado and immediately remembered that it was my birthday.

2. I skyped with my three brothers. Somehow they were all able to get together this past weekend in NC, and I was able to join in for a few minutes. I love these men so much. If I could spend the rest of my days hanging out with them and their better halves, I’d take it in a second. Our conversation was short, but it was a huge highlight of my day.

3. I read through the dozens of emails and facebook notifications. I was overwhelmed as I looked at the mass of messages from people from all periods of my life. How neat to remember faces, intimate moments, and capture fading memories as I scrolled through and spent time with each message! It was humbling and reminded me that while I was alone on my birthday, I’m not alone on this Earth. I bet I could post a plea for help and many of those people would drop their lives and come running. What an amazing blessing!

4. I recalled what a rollercoaster the past 4 years have been and where I was for my past birthdays. Tell me this isn’t crazy:

-2007 - Winston Salem, NC: Many of my best friends in college were studying abroad in England and I was sad that they weren’t with me to celebrate my 21st. But, a surprise party was thrown in my honor and I ended up having a good time.

-2008 – Valparaiso, Chile: I had just begun studying in South America and I hastily told some of my newly made friends that it was my birthday. We went and grabbed drinks and tapas at a local bar.

-2009 – Petersburg, Virginia: I was all alone and in a rough period of my life doing some Army training. I wasn’t sure I was even going to celebrate my birthday at all, but one of my best friends, Justin, drove down from Richmond and brought some beer late at night. We hung out, watched football, and talked. His trip meant so much to me.

-2010 – Istanbul, Turkey: I flew here to visit one of my great friends, Will, from Colorado. We walked the streets that night, reconnected, and later explored one of the coolest places I’ve been in Europe.

-2011 – Kaiserslautern, Germany: I just moved here to start a new job. I was alone, but I was reminded that I’m not really alone. I found a jazz concert and bought a ridiculously expensive meal just because I felt like I should.

So, from 2007-2011, I celebrated my birthday on three continents, four countries, and two different states. Crazy! I guess that’s an indicator that I lack stability in life. Nevertheless, my stability is rooted in the network of friends and family that encompass me.

Thank you all for remembering me this past weekend. It’s amazing how something like a short birthday message can change the course of an ordinary day. I'll think I'll remember this one for a while.