Celebrate Life and all The Little Moments #BirthdaysCount
When my children were little we spent many hours celebrating being a family. And every year their birthdays were all consuming but wonderful little landmarks of our lives together. For weeks we would plot guest lists and the themes, building the perfect cake. Planning presents that would make their hearts sing. They were one and two and barely old enough to remember, but I remember every last detail. Every present bought, special invitation, and each special guest that shared their day and held them close.
Sometimes I bought their cakes, but very often I tried to bake something special just for them. I still remember easily Payton’s first birthday which was a fish theme. And her second birthday, a day I celebrated even more than the first birthday with a grand Caillou cake and tricycle and invitations that screamed Two. She loved that tricycle from Grandma.
Life takes energy. Enbridge knows that. Enbridge recently surveyed Canadians regarding their feelings about birthdays. And a funny thing happened…have you ever wondered if all the effort is worth it? If anyone cares to recall the birthday party they had when they turned 5 or 8 or 12 or 28? Well, according to the Enbridge survey Canadians do care.
The Enbridge survey indicated Canadians overwhelmingly agree (80%) that with life getting more complicated, it’s even more important to celebrate life’s simple moments, like a birthday. The most important thing about birthdays is spending it with family according to 87 % of respondents. 82% of Canadians agree that they feel special when someone puts a lot of energy into celebrating their birthday.
Isn’t that a lovely thing? Feeling special?
[tweetthis]91 % of Canadians think it’s important to celebrate birthdays. How about you? #birthdayscount[/tweetthis]
This is why. I celebrate birthdays with my kids, because life is short. Because someone asked me what special birthday I remember from my childhood and this is it.
[tweetthis]Do you have a special birthday memory? #birthdayscount[/tweetthis]
I remember my Mom building a backyard birthday party for me when I was about seven years old. Surrounded by my best friends we played pin the tail on the donkey and wore birthday hats and shared cake inside our kitchen and it was one of my happiest childhood memories. Two years ago my Mom passed away suddenly, but these are the times I remember and the memories I still hold close. Life takes energy and so do birthdays.
Birthdays…are a little bit of magic…just like life.
Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Enbridge and I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
27 Comments
Robin (Masshole Mommy)
My boys both have August birthdays, so we always do a big party at our house with a bouncy house and pizza.
Amanda
SO true! Life and birthdays DO take a lot of energy but both are so worth it in the end!
Randa @ TBK
I think it’s important to recognize the birthday and celebrate the people you love.
Bonnie Way
I agree that birthdays are worth celebrating. I find party planning stressful but I do enjoy marking our girls’ milestones. My family didn’t celebrate birthdays growing up so most of my childhood birthday memories are negative. One funny memory is the only party my twin and I had, for our Kindergarten year. My mom invited all our classmates out for our party and afterwards we went outside to play and most of them got stuck in our muddy front lawn, which my brother and I knew not to venture onto. They tried to ask us to come help pull them out and we stood at the edge of the lawn laughing at them. 🙂
Sandy
I completely agree with this. It’s life’s little moments that count, and birthdays are one of them, especially when you are a kid. I fondly remember many birthday parties I had as a kid, but most notably the year my mother made me a panda bear cake from scratch when I was 5 (I think). I loved that cake!
Margarita Ibbott (@DownshiftingPRO)
You know I am all about the birthday celebration. Just read my post last weekend on making a wish list… I love celebrating those special days. It is so important.
Sarah Bailey
I seem to have stopped thinking about birthdays so much as I have got older – they all seem to fly by why to quickly. x
aimee fauci
I love celebrating birthday for my girls. They are special so I try and make them feel special.
Catherine S
Birthdays are important. For us it is a time for family and friends to get together. I still remember my Smurf birthday party I had when I turned 10.
Pam
I definitely can agree with this. When life gets complicated, it’s important to remember that usually its the simplest things that matter most.
Lady Lilith
We are really into birthdays. I have some of the best memories from parties and I want the girls to have the same. We usually have a small party with family and some close friends.
Heather D. (@GirlGoneMom)
We celebrate all of the birthdays! Even the ones we are not so happy about. 🙂
Paula
Heather: Hahahaha! I completely understand that as a person in my 40s.
Toughcookiemommy
Birthdays are such important celebrations. It’s a day that each person can feel special for that day.
Mykidsguide
Birthdays are special and it should always be celebrated with your loved ones. We may not always have a party and just have a simple celebration during my kids’ birthdays, but we make sure that our family is complete on that day.
Amanda Ripsam
we always celebrate birthdays it’s never been an option to ever skip out on any ones birthday. Even if we can’t get together on the same day or afford something on the same day we always make sure the friends and family feel special even if it’s just a special home made dinner and a birthday cake.
Veronica
I assumed most people celebrate birthdays…unless they are Jehovah’s witnesses. Birthdays are to be celebrated with joy
Ann Bacciaglia
I have always made sure the kids had fantastic birthdays. I think it is important to celebrate. It is always fun to get together and have cake.
Pam
I still fly back every October to celebrate my mom’s birthday. She will be 87 this year. You are never too old to celebrate a birthday and celebrating to me is just family, good food and good fun.
Annemarie LeBlanc
Birthdays are big too in my family. It is always a reason to gather relatives and friends to be thankful for the year that passed and to give wishes for a great future ahead. In my family, everyone deserves a birthday cake! (and party hats too!)
Maureen@ADebtFreeStressFreeLife
I like celebrating other people’s birthdays but I don’t like celebrating my own. Even as a kid I didn’t enjoy it.
Jeanine
I love celebrating birthdays. We don’t do big parties or anything, but we do celebrate. We have Big dinners, cake, decos and gifts. My kids love it!
April G
I didn’t grow up with a lot of birthday celebrations and even though I don’t always do something big, I always do something for the kiddos. Often, they are happy with just a couple of friends, some pizza, cake and ice cream.
Dawn
We love celebrating birthdays in our home. We want each person to be able to look forward to their’s each year.
Amber NElson
We love birthdays at our house. Always a big celebration!
Lisa Rios
Birthday is always a great moment to celebrate your life. And I have always cherished such awesome moments with both my kid’s birthdays & it always plays a special role in bringing a family together as well.
Melissa Vera
When my girls were little we had big birthday parties for them. Now we celebrate with family dinners. Except for the milestone birthdays.