My Birthday

I've never been big on fussing over my own celebration expecially these recent years, maybe because I have been so drained from sleep deprivation and exhaustion since I gave birth to my daughter 2 years ago, that I am more focused on try to find time on more sleep, sneaking into bathroom having manicure or pedicure or just soak my feet into bubble foot spa. This is not a 'complaining' ...I love my life at home and my role now. And the other reason is why in the world the bomb was exploded in Bali in 2002 right on my birthday...?..it's so sad..!..sometimes it make me sluggish when I remember that.
There's excitement when I was younger about my birthday, but never cared too much about it, probably because 'the tradition' which a bit different than in America where I live now.

In my family, typical Indonesian family with four kids we never have big celebration for birthday, except when my big sister turned to 17 and she's decided to invite her friends and have special birthday (which I refused to do the same thing when my mom offered me!)..well back to my family, even a gift with pretty wrap is a rare. Sometimes my folks gave some extra money that I could spent whatever I want. But we always have birthday dinner together with a little bit special meals. I was fortunate to have good parents, my father had a good job, my mom after she gave birth the 4th kid, she decided to stay at home. About the dinner meals, my mom usually cook or buy Fried Noodle, Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay) and one or two other entrees served with steam rice and fruit for desert. There's no cake with candles, but sometimes I really want it, have pretty cake and blow the candles.

That was a wonderful memory about my birthday, having my parents and siblings arround, sat together, eating, laughing in our dining room. My parents both died several years ago, and I live thousands miles accross the Pacific Ocean from my siblings and nieces...sometimes I missed that 'simple' celebration.

Now, I have my own family with strong tradition about having birthday tradition with giving gift, my husband always try to have a date with me in nice restaurants..(I like most the restaurants at the waterfront of Tacoma, where we live, because the awesome scenery overlooking the bay). I really appreciate him, but because right now we need to find time so that somebody can baby sitt our daughter while we dining out, (confession : thanks to my mother in-law, a nice lady who always happy to baby sitt the only grand-daughter she has..LoL), so, sometimes dining out is pending and I try to make the tradition, a simple birthday dinner together at home, which is I really love it, remind me of my birthday in Indonesia... indulging myself by not cooking, just order Chinese Food, allowing a funky hunk knocked the door and brought my warm order..ha..ha.!. I must admit everything I taste is much better because someone else prepared it!...FYI, in America when you're adult and have birthday, your spouse or friend is the one who treat you, but in Indonesia when you have your birthday, you're the one who treat your best friends or spouse or co-workers.
Above all, I always try to have silent moment for myself, grateful and thank God for whatever I'm having right now..I hope someday I can hand-down this tradition to my daughter.