Recently, when I’ve been out and about, and particularly around adults, I have overheard more and more examples of an exchange that usually goes a little bit like this:

“How was your weekend? Did you have a good birthday?”

“Well, it was OK, but you don’t really want them when you get to my age.”

It’s a very random conversation to notice, I know, but every instance of this happening is gradually uncovering a new trend, which I don’t like much. This trend, quite simply, is negativity towards birthdays. Every human being has one, and whilst each of us may share it with millions of other people around the world, we should still treat it within our own families and friendship groups as something unique to us. Instead of moaning about growing older, we should have days out or a meal with the people we love the most. Even if an individual’s outlook on life was largely an unhappy one, perhaps that special day could give them something to look forward to, as it does for so many others. We should use birthdays to bestow extra sprinkles of love upon those who are most special to us, so that cherished memories can be created year after year.

It might seem as though I’m suggesting that life’s dark clouds can be driven away by a single day – I know, of course, that this is not true at all. I merely wonder how that special, annual day, where someone can be the centre of attention for 24 straight hours, might be able to lift their mood when they really need it – or equally if they don’t. I am aware that the majority of people do take great pleasure from their birthdays, but just imagine if the remainder felt a bit better about them. There’d be nothing wrong with extra happiness in the world, would there? Every last smile is precious, and we should do everything we can to preserve them, whether these actions are big or small – and that includes making birthdays worth everyone’s while.

Mason