To My Parents,
Happy Birthday! Today, 20 years ago, you became a mother and a father to your very first child. Today marks the day you have been the emergency contact, the number one fan and the role model for 20 full years. While I would love to believe that this is the day for me to be the center of attention and showered with all the love and birthday wishes, it is the two of you who deserve the real congratulations. This was such a special day for all of us, and yet every Feb. 28, it has always really been about me. For 7,300 days you have given me the world. For 7,300 days you have loved me unconditionally. It is so selfish for me to think that this day belongs solely to me and that I am the only one who should be celebrated. I was not even born yet when you arrived to the hospital after signing Dad up for a YMCA basketball team in a hurry on the way there. I did not get to see Grandma Sue rushing into the hospital room with fresh red lipstick (as always) painted on and eyes glowing with sheer delight. I was not there with all of our closest friends and relatives when they welcomed the newest member into their worlds. I do not know what it felt like for you to see your baby finally come into this world after nine months of planning, and an entire life spent dreaming. Feb. 28, 1996, is a day you will all always remember, while I only get the excitement out of stories told by witnesses.
I am writing this not only for you the two of you, but for children of parents everywhere. If you are lucky enough to have parents who support and love you, your birthday should be a day to reflect on that. Reflect on the 20 years wrapped around first steps and first words, to first conversations about your future and the first time behind the wheel of your dad’s truck (which up until then you thought he loved more than you). While everyone loves to celebrate a day that is supposed to be about them, it is more important to not forget how we got to that day. Remember who has made you who you are when you turn 16, 20, 40. I am lucky enough to have parents who have helped and guided me through every step of my life and I am so blessed to know that they will continue to do so. Given that this has always been our relationship, it makes sense that my birthday should be a celebration of our combined efforts.
While I still am, and will always be, a strong believer that birthdays should be a celebration of one’s life and all they have accomplished in their years, I think that it should be taken into consideration to spend at least an inkling of your special day acknowledging and being gracious toward the people who have influenced your years the most. If you are fortunate enough to have anyone who has positively impacted the years you are celebrating, I think it should be important that we recognize that on this day. That is why this year, I am thanking my parents for their infinite time spent in my corner, posing for Snapchat stories and turning off my light when I am already in bed. Thank you for listening to my never-ending stories, eating with me at Sideboard, and loving my friends like family. I love you guys more than words will ever be able to describe. Congratulations on being the best parents I can ask for the last 20 years.
XOXO,
Shan
