Birthdays are a Season!

Someone once told me that "birthdays are a season" when I felt bad bringing a double layer birthday cake by a day late. I like that idea and I think it is true - well, that is to say that I think the best birthdays are celebrated in that spirit.

My problem is that January can be a cruel month in general. The days are short, cold and devoid of much sunshine. It is the month when tuition is due and I feel like I am barely recovering from the energy and finances Christmas demanded from me. And as my birthday falls on the 23rd, someone once pointed out to me that my birthday is the day before "the most depressed day of the year".

In the past I have tried to even displace my birthday to a more hopeful and happy month. While living in Austin, I had to be on campus for a MLS "web institute" over my birthday weekend. I decided it was time to try something new. So I told Matt that I wanted to go out for birthday celebrations April 15th this year. We would hold off on gifts, dinner, etc until then. Seemed like something worth trying out. Problem was, April 15th came and went and I completely forgot that we were going to celebrate my birthday. Woops!

This year seemed bound for the most epic of birthday fails too. January 23rd was officially declared "Bluest Monday" of the 2012 year. But it turns out a good birthday doesn't have to come from good weather or ideal placement within the calendar year. I learned that pretty quick while eating Pho then frozen yogurt with Matt and my dear friend Claire who came down from Fort Collins in honor of the upcoming "Blue Monday", or my birthday. We finished off the evening with a fire and Freaks and Geeks. Life seemed it couldn't be sweeter.

But then Blue Monday came around and my RS president came by with a card, chocolate bar and a visit. Throughout the day I got a handful of phone calls, text messages and loads of loving FB postings - I was feeling right loved and up to the brim with happy birthday feelings! Then I came home to a card from Luling and a wee birthday shrine Matt had put together (shopping on foot since I had the car at work).

The happy birthday Cate vibes kept coming from all kinds of places for the rest of the week through parcels, cards, messages and phone calls. So indeed birthdays are a season and I can't help but send out a huge THANK YOU to everyone you has made my birthday special this year or in years past. I am one lucky girl to have been born in January:)