It's finally November and I couldn't be more excited. Thanksgiving is coming up and my first official visit home is almost here. The other thing I like about November, my birthday falls on the 23.
Now this year that makes me a Thanksgiving baby and that normally happens about every 4 or 5 years. While I love the possibility of cake and a huge meal on my birthday, it also makes me sad because my whole family is only getting together for the holiday, not my actual birthday.
In past years I never noticed that my birthday was overshadowed by Thanksgiving when they just happen to fall on the same day because I was too young to notice and oh yeah I always got a new toy to play with while my cousins were playing with the old ones. This year after I sat down and thought about it, would my family be all together if it was just my birthday?
Now I know I'm not the only November baby whose birthday also sometimes falls on Thanksgiving that's thought about this. After all, your birthday probably isn't nationally recognized or includes a feast like a holiday is and if your birthday is by definition a holiday then you are one lucky person.
I don't know about other peoples' families but mine has very rare occasions on which we are all together. It's easy to get myself, my parents, and my dad's parents together but as far as the rest of my family goes, the last time we were all together was right before I left for college and that was because we were providing free food.
Being a person with a birthday that falls on or around Thanksgiving actually sucks when you start realizing your family is only together for the holiday and that your birthday being the same day is actually just a coincidence. Don't get me wrong my family loves me, but not enough to get together for a thing as simple as my birthday.
Even then, I speak like my family is huge. Just a little background, when we do Thanksgiving the initial dinner is myself, my dad's parents, my parents, and my uncle and then afterward we go and visit the extended family and maybe my mom's parents. Thanksgiving is a holiday where everyone should come together and they do but with some exceptions.
So imagine being a November baby with your birthday on Thanksgiving and then thinking you have like three separate parties because you went to three separate places for the holiday. That was me as a kid. It was even worse when my mom threw an actual party the weekend after and then I felt special because I got more than one day for my birthday.
I know this sounds like I don't appreciate the benefits of having my birthday fall on Thanksgiving; lots of food, cake, maybe even more than one actual day to celebrate my birthday, trust me I know it sounds great. Sometimes though, I would actually like to be able to celebrate my birthday on the day it's meant to be without feeling like my family is only getting together because of the obligation of Thanksgiving.
