By Claire Alumbre
Birthdays. That one specific day of the year. The one day in the year that’s entirely yours—a celebration of life, of existence. A day of laughter, love, and the warmth of people who care about you. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be.
As children, birthdays felt like magic. The thrill of blowing out candles, the suspense of unwrapping presents, the way the world seemed to revolve around us for just one day. The excitement was overwhelming—lying awake the night before, too excited to sleep, counting the hours until the celebration began.
But somewhere along the way, that magic starts to fade.
At first, birthdays are something to look forward to. Then, they become something to think about. Eventually, they become something to reflect on—sometimes with excitement, sometimes with unease. Because getting older isn’t just about adding another candle to the cake; it’s about change. It’s about responsibility. It’s about realizing that the world doesn’t pause to celebrate you the way it once did.
Sure, the thought of birthdays is fun. But when I think about it deeply, it’s kind of scary. I’m getting older. And if I am getting older, so is everyone around me. My parents, my friends, my loved ones—they’re all moving forward in time, growing older, growing weaker. And that thought lingers heavier than the excitement did.
Then there’s the part no one tells us about as children: adulthood. The reality of bills piling up, rent dues looming, and the weight of work pressing down on you. Responsibilities stack higher than the candles on your cake. The older you get, the less your birthday feels like a celebration and more like a checkpoint—at least for me. It’s just another year surviving, another year deeper into the cycle of obligations. You wake up, not to presents and balloons anymore but to reminders—reminders that time isn’t waiting, that deadlines don’t pause, that being an adult means constantly tending to life’s never-ending demands.
What once kept me awake with joy now keeps me awake with questions about life. What was the excitement for? I may sound like such a buzz killer, but what happens after the cake is cut and the wishes are made? Everything goes back to the way it is, right? The world continues spinning. And the only thing that truly changed is that I am now older. Wiser, maybe. But with wisdom comes responsibility—the realization that life isn’t as simple as it once was.
Most people get excited and embrace their birthdays because they revel in the attention and bask in the joy of being at the center of it all.
I wish I could feel the same.
