As I am now less than one month from the big ol' 45, I've been thinking a lot about birthdays lately.  Birthdays are important.  Old memories are reminisced and new memories are made.  I was going through some old photos the other day and came across many fun birthday pictures from my childhood.

We didn't really have birthday parties, per say, growing up.  I think I had two parties - one party, a roller skating party, I had with Darcy, whose birthday is in January, and the other one, a pizza party,  I had with the neighborhood kids.  Those were both great, but the ones that mean the most are the family parties we had.  And by party, that meant a birthday dinner, cake and presents.  Mom always cooked the favorite foods of whose birthday it was.  Mine was always....and I mean always....hamburgers.  They're actually still my favorite.  Bill usually chose lasagna, which was one of Mom's specialties.  Grandmother would make the cake and there was usually ice cream to accompany it.

And the gifts.  We never got a lot of presents for our birthday, but we got enough and they were always good gifts.  That was good for me, being a December baby!  And when we were very young, I would get a gift on Bill's birthday and he'd get one on mine.  That was a pretty fair thing to do, and it kept the peace between the kids!

As with so many things in life, I didn't realize how important those times were in that specific moment.  I look back on them now and they truly were great.  And not just the kids' birthdays, but everyone's.  We always celebrated.  Since Mom's and Grandmother's birthdays were in the summer, we would often have larger groups for a cookout...some of the extended family and some cherished friends.  It's simply the treasure of being together that makes it so special.

I want to do that more often now.  Hosting birthday dinners would be incredibly fun for me.  And, like my memories, I don't mean anything huge.  Just a circle friends together to celebrate.  The older I get, the more that appeals to me.  I use to want a large birthday party, but now I'd rather have a few friends together to celebrate.  As an adult, those are the moments that I remember.  For several years Michael and I have gone to Fishbones with Bethann for my birthday...and some how always run into Jim Wren and his wife there....every time LOL 

I just like the idea of the smaller birthday celebrations for myself and for others.  Those are some of my greatest memories and now it is time to make more.  I just have to find out when everyone's birthday is!!