Birthday excitement

I would be a-ok if I did not have another birthday for a few years. At 26, I am to the point that the only good thing to come out of birthdays is the added professional credibility that I get from having one more crease around my eyes and adding one more year of experience to my resume. That aside, I would be fine with remaining in the 26-28 age range for the next 10 years or so.


Sometimes I forget how exciting birthdays once were. I was reminded of the pure joy related to being the center of attention and receiving birthday presents over the weekend.


My niece, Petra, turned 2 on Friday, so her family gathered on Saturday for a party in her honor. Petra is extremely animated and adores having all eyes on her. She has bright blue eyes and big dimples, and she is well aware of the power that those features have over Grandma and Grandpa. When her mom (my sister) sat her on a big round ottomon in the center of the room, her eyes lit up knowing that this was her show, and everyone was watching.

The birthday girl (wearing a stocking hat she just

received with the mittens still attached)

With each present she opened, Petra's response was the same: "(gasp) Ohhhhh," followed by laughter from everyone watching. Sometimes the response to the gift would be uttered before the tissue paper was even pulled out of the bag. I told her to be careful, because she could come off as insincere! And that's when I realized, I had seen this display before at birthday parties, wedding showers, and baby showers. This child had learned from watching her mother that when you open gifts, the proper response is to exaggerate your appreciation. When I pointed out my observation to my sister, her face turned red.


Maybe we can all learn from Petra, though. After all, not everyone receives piles of gifts from loved ones for birthdays or Christmas. So this Christmas, when you open gifts from Santa, friends, and family, give a little gasp to show your excitement -- just be sure that you wait until the gift is open before you react!