Birthdays are inherently joyous occasions made even more special when surrounded by loved ones. Many people mark this occasion with month-long celebrations! They celebrate with their families, siblings, and different groups of friends, a date night with their spouse, and numerous evenings filled with slices of decadent chocolate cake and extravagant presents.

Birthdays tend to be tricky for me. To say I am less than enthusiastic about my own birthday is an understatement. As the day draws near, a feeling of anxiousness makes its way to me. It wasn’t always like this though. As a teen, I would stay up till midnight waiting excitedly for the phone to ring when my friends would call to wish me a ‘Happy Birthday’. But a lot has changed in recent years and I almost dread my birthday and want it to pass as quietly as possible now.