How Happy is a Birthday?

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When I was a kid, birthdays were a little more fun. I went to places kid oriented. There were games and prizes and memories were made, and there were people who celebrated your birthday with you. These days, I don't where the time has gone. Today I officially have lived for a quarter of a century, and am wondering what I have to show for it. All the musical chairs and pinning the donkey's tail on are replaced by drinking when you are my age. That's usually how things work if you're normal minded, but I am only in an empty room, typing on a computer, with no other plans but to get a few gifts. Today is a day for wondering what I still have to accomplish in life, and there is a lot. A co-worker I work closely with told me they felt a loss of accomplishment on their birthday, but they still had friends, went places, and had activities to do. That's more than what I have, but I'm not rude enough to tell them that.

Who else feels like me, or otherwise despises the one day that reminds you of what reality really is for you?

I have long ago, stopped celebrating birthdays in any "traditional" sort of way. Not saying this is what you should do, but it works well for me to take that day and have dinner with a close friend or two and spend the rest of the day planning out goals for my next year. You can spend the day reflecting on the future instead of lamenting on the past.

After 21 no more birthdays plz

As long as I'm not dead, they ain't so bad.

I have to be honest, I've never really had a 'happy birthday'. I never understood the significance of changing age as a kid, and as an adult I know it only too well, and I don't like it. I spent my 18th crying and screaming because it was s**t (that's what I screamed anyway), my 21st in a wheelchair. We had a nice birthday party for me this year to make up for my 21st being so lame, but it wasn't really a party... It was more like me going to Cambridge, which I do every week anyway, with my Mum...

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

I don't have friends who drink, so I guess they're not that bad.

I love my birthday because I think I'm pretty great and don't mind celebrating it. Who cares about accomplishments - I went to college, graduated honors, learned a kabillion things - I have lots of accomplishments, but really, where have they gotten me? Meh. It really doesn't matter - it's a mentality of more, more, more. Just be happy and love yourself and birthdays can be pretty great, even if you're the only one who cares. I don't do outings with friends or parties for it, I'm just happy being me.

My whole family knows that the month of February is my "birthday month" so they do sweet things all month for me. How cool is that?

I also don't mind getting old. It doesn't matter - it's that or die. I know some lovely elders and I hope to be one one day.

Hating your birthday is just fighting with life. It's like getting angry at the sun for going across the sky. Makes no sense.

I used to enjoy my birthday parties as a kid.

At least, I think I did, I cannot really remember how I felt about them.

The last couple of years, I have found it utterly wonderful to not have anybody over, not go out, just have my favourite meals with my family and enjoy my presents (usually eating chocolate and reading fantasy novels and philosophy).

My extended family, starting with my brother (third oldest of the lot) have begun having huge 21st birthday parties. They are intolerable. On my 21st I will probably do what I have been doing for the last couple of years.

A happy birthday for an aspie is an asperger's birthday. A birthday is about YOU, so do what you want to do.

My parents kept on asking me last time if I wanted to go to a restaurant, this could get worse over the years...

As happy as you want it to be.

Neither birthdays nor holidays are the same for me as they were as a kid. Maybe it's because I work full time and on those days now, Idk. It's slightly depressing actually because they just feel like any other day for the most part and a part of me is screaming why, it didn't used to be this way.

How string is a long of piece

I think it's as happy as you make it.

happy birthdays? hmmmm...I had two when I was six and when I was eight...the others varie from tolerable to painful to depressing...I would like to celebrate my birthdays with someone who understands me , and whom I understand. unfortunately I dont know anyone who understands me right now at all.
anyway I think after the age of nine I began to understand the REAL meaning of a birthday. A mark of aging ,of time passing and oppurtunities lost,being lost or ''doors'' closing.(doors signifying possible oppurtunities.).so yeah the philosophical part of me really matured between the ages of eight-nine.
this is starting to take a form of a letter.
will write soon,
take care,
Deadinhead.

Right now I am still at home, so I still have my family to celebrate it with me.
Nonetheless, I can see where you are coming from.
If you want to make your birthday happier you can:
*Join a bunch of websites and have random people tell you happy b-day
*Treat yourself to whatever food (not just b-day cake) you want (probably one of my fave parts)
*Make time capsules (Those are SO much fun, like I just opened one for my 18th a month ago, and it was honestly awesome)
*Promise to make changes (kinda like new years, but it is YOUR new year, and I like this one because you can write a note to yourself every year, and eventually you will be able to look back at them and they will make you smile)
*Think of all the people you are younger then (terms do not apply to anyone over 85)

Anyways, have a Happy Birthday.
Yes, it can be depressing, but it can also be good if you learn not to worry about those sort of things, and be happy.