Honestly, I'm no romantic girl. I never appreciate birthdays (except those that mark a milestone, i.e. 18, 21, 60, or something). But I had the urge to send birthday messages on friendster today; and as I did, I was assailed with questions (again).
Has anybody thought of the rationale behind celebrating birthdays? What is it that we are toasting? Maybe we are cheering over the progress we have made. Maybe birthday is a sigh of relief after a year of bitter struggle against many odds. Maybe we are embracing the hope to live another year.
Then it occurred to me. If it is the past year that we are commemorating, would we still drink to it if we were to know about our imminent demise? Unlikely. Because it is not the past that is foremost on our minds. We are celebrating the successful resilience we have that allows us to continue forward. But, if this were true what reason do octogenarians have to drink to another year if that gift is far from guaranteed?
I am forced into the conclusion that birthdays are about illusory immortality.
Happy birthday to LiYing, YeeSiang, and ZiHong!
Has anybody thought of the rationale behind celebrating birthdays? What is it that we are toasting? Maybe we are cheering over the progress we have made. Maybe birthday is a sigh of relief after a year of bitter struggle against many odds. Maybe we are embracing the hope to live another year.
Then it occurred to me. If it is the past year that we are commemorating, would we still drink to it if we were to know about our imminent demise? Unlikely. Because it is not the past that is foremost on our minds. We are celebrating the successful resilience we have that allows us to continue forward. But, if this were true what reason do octogenarians have to drink to another year if that gift is far from guaranteed?
I am forced into the conclusion that birthdays are about illusory immortality.
Happy birthday to LiYing, YeeSiang, and ZiHong!
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