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Birthdays are an exciting affair, no matter what your age is. And what fun it would be if one had two birthdays, instead of just one!
A few weeks ago we celebrated our son’s third birthday. His birthday has become quite an event for us. We spend weeks planning for his birthday, leaving no stone unturned.
It was just a week before his third birthday, that I realised something. I was showing the dress that we bought for him on the occasion of his birthday to my mum-in-law. She was very happy seeing what her grandson would be wearing. And then to add to her excitement, I showed her the gown that I purchased to wear on his birthday. Seeing my gown, MIL exclaimed, ‘Your dress is beautiful, but now I am actually confused, as to whose birthday are we celebrating? Yours or your son’s?’
Well, at that moment, all I did was smile. But later, her words carried me back to my childhood. Like any other kid, I too, eagerly waited every year for my birthday. The countdown for my birthday would begin almost a month beforehand. And I would make an official declaration of my wishlist to my whole family, decide the flavour of the cake I wanted, send an invite to my friends almost a month beforehand, but more than all this, I would wait for that Birthday Dress. The Birthday Dress was in general a surprise from my parents. They would scan the entire market to get the best dress for me. And I would eagerly wait for them to come home and open the packet and disclose the enchanting dress.
Yes, enchanting! As a kid, I always thought that the dress possessed magical powers. At our school, we had a tradition of wearing a colourful dress on our Birthday. I would often envy other kids flaunting their birthday dresses, praying to god to prepone my birthday or to give me more birthdays. That dress had immense power. It would help to make me the most popular girl in the class, even if it was just for a day. It would help make me the centre of attraction for that day, be it at home or at school. It would make me look out of the crowd, just for a day. It would make the known and the unknowns at school wish me A Very Happy Birthday. It would help me to be identified as a Birthday Girl. There was so much pride hidden in that charismatic Birthday Dress.
No matter how old I grew, the Birthday Dress never lost its charm. It kept on enticing me. School was over, so was college, and then came my workplace, then marriage, but the tradition of wearing a new dress on my birthday never lost its significance.
There was something about the Birthday Dress that made my birthdays even more special. Over the years, by God’s grace, I have been showered with beautiful gifts, beautiful memories, but nothing can be compared to the feeling of wearing a new dress on my birthday. Even today when I wear that new dress, somewhere inside me, a little girl jumps with joy, flaunting the adorable new dress, wishing for the world to shower their best wishes, thanking the dress that made her feel so special.
But, now the special day has changed its date. I no longer wait for my birthday.
Hmmm! Okay, okay…I won’t lie.
I still love to count the days to go for my birthday but now, I wait for my son’s birthday more eagerly than I wait for mine.
But, the prayers of that little girl have been answered. Now I have two official birthdays. One, the day when I was born, and the other, the day the mother in me came to life.
The legacy of the Birthday Dress still continues in full swing. Instead of one Birthday, now I am blessed to have two, instead of one Birthday Dress, now I have two! Thank you, my baby. Thanks for gifting me another Birthday, another Birthday Dress!
Top image via pixabay
I love to pen down my thoughts. Writing to me, is expressing myself. When I'm not writing I'm either thinking about what to write, or cooking or shopping, but mostly you will find read more...
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Menopause is a reality in women's lives, so Indian workplaces need to gear up and address women's menopausal needs.
Picture this: A seasoned executive at the peak of her career suddenly grapples with hot flashes and sleep disturbances during important meetings. She also battles mood swings and cognitive changes, affecting her productivity and confidence. Eventually, she resigns from her job.
Fiction? Not really. The scenario above is a reality many women face as they navigate menopause while meeting their work responsibilities.
Menopause is the time when a woman stops menstruating. This natural condition marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. The transition brings unique physical, emotional, and psychological changes for women.
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