STRICTLY OBSERVING: Banish the birthday blues

Today is my birthday.  I’m 23 years old.  While I don’t get as excited about birthdays as I use to, I still look forward to them.  However, I realize that some people don’t like to acknowledge their birthday, as it is a reminder that they are a year older, but that seems rather silly to me.  I can’t understand all these people I encounter who regard their birthday as “just another day,” some of whom aren’t that much older than me.  I can feel blasé about life the other 364 days of the year without having to ruin my birthday being consumed by an inevitable fact, over which I have no control.  While I may not be thrilled about aging, I know that refusing to celebrate will not stop me from getting older.  Having that attitude would only cause me to feel even worse.
While I am by no means the most altruistic person you will ever meet, I’ve always regarded my birthday as a time to be spent celebrating.  After all, each and every birthday we have is a blessing from God, and it should always be regarded as such.  My birthday is the one day of the year that I go out of my way to make sure I have the opportunity to enjoy life in a way that I may not consider the rest of the time.  That is not to say that I expect to have some sort of wild party every year.  I believe that my birthday wishes are consistent and quite simple.  Really the only thing I ever want in a birthday celebration is the opportunity for fellowship with my closest friends.  After all, these are the people responsible for the goodness in my life.  Without them, I would be nothing and I thank God for them every day, not just on my birthday. 
More specifically, I always make a point to celebrate with Duck and Granny Rose, as both of them also have birthdays within six days of mine.  Thanks to my mother, I always treasure the times when our four generations of family are able to celebrate together with a day of travel and fun.  I am also looking very much forward to partying with some of my best friends.  While Nathan and I prefer to stay in with a pizza and a night’s worth of rented movies, Shane and I are more inclined to spend the day at a restaurant and mall out of town.  Either way, I am assured of a great time, the memories of each I will treasure for my entire life. 
Throughout all of these aforementioned events, as well as several others that usually take place on and around my birthday, I never once catch myself feeling disturbed about the fact that I am one year older.  Instead, I find myself feeling blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life who care enough to share with me in this time of merriment.  Moreover, I try and stretch out my birthday celebrations over as many days and with as many loved ones as possible simply because there is nothing more important to me than having fun with those I treasure most. 
Why would I deny myself full benefit of each of these wonderful blessings by simply regarding my birthday as “just another day?” As long as I continue to accept and be thankful for the blessings that God has given me, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to celebrate all the rest of my birthdays with as much excitement as ever.  I pray that I will continue to be blessed with family and friends to share in each one of them.
So, it is with heartfelt sincerity that I encourage those of you who regard your birthday as “just another day” to reconsider your viewpoint and be grateful for another year of life.  After all, life is a precious gift that doesn’t last forever and is not a guarantee.  Therefore, on whatever day of the year your birthday occurs, I implore you to do whatever makes you happy with whoever makes you the happiest, as you are never too old to enjoy yourself.  I guarantee that as you read this column, I will be doing everything in my power to celebrate to the fullest extent.
A graduate of Wytheville Community College, Zach Cooley lives in Wytheville with his parents. Contact him at .