Do you suffer from Birthday Letdown Syndrome? Your birthday is coming, and you have such high hopes that it will be all you wished for and more. Even if you’re not a big birthday person, I’ll bet you still have a few unspoken expectations for the day.
All of that anticipation builds, and no matter how great the day is, it’s never quite how or what you expected. Then, the letdown comes. Dissatisfied and discontent, you turn the page, and start another year of life.
Dealing with Unmet Expectations
I love birthdays. Mine and pretty much everyone else’s. I experience the letdown when my own expectations aren’t met for how I want to be celebrated or how I want others to respond to my efforts to celebrate them. Somehow, it’s just never enough.
The year I turned 40, I determined not to let expectation ruin my landmark day. I took the advice of Ann Voskamp, and I spent my birthday making others feel special. You can read all about that day in the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Random Acts of Kindness: 101 Stories of Compassion and Paying It Forward (#69). It was probably my best birthday ever.
How to Find Contentment
I let birthday letdown creep back in over the next couple of years, though. Sure, there were bursts of happiness and surprise that made those birthdays wonderful, but expectation continued to whisper in my ear. Today, though, I turned 43 years old. This is the first time that I’ve been too busy to even look forward to my birthday.
I tuned out the voice of expectation and treated today like a regular day, knowing I’d get cards from my kids and husband and a bunch of happy birthday wishes on Facebook. I resolved not to look for anything more. In doing so, I found contentment. The little gestures meant so much more; I wasn’t looking beyond them for something bigger or better.
Birthday Blessings
Going on a field trip for the morning with my daughter and her class became an exciting adventure. When I arrived home, a dear friend and her young son were waiting at the table on my front sidewalk with a balloon and cupcake to celebrate me. We sat out in the sunshine and ate yogurt and clementines and caught up on each other’s lives.
Another friend “flocked” my yard with flamingos, which brought mixed feelings of delight and wistfulness. She and I unexpectedly lost a mutual friend last month whose signature bird was the flamingo. I was glad to remember our friend and to celebrate her memory by choosing joy and gratitude, as she always did.
Take a Time Out
The afternoon was like any other, with work to do and errands to run and kids to shuttle. Still, I took advantage of the few extra minutes following a quick trip to the library to sit and read in the sunshine with my daughter while we waited for the rest of the kids to straggle out.
I chose The Love Dare for Parents, and the first day’s challenge is to make sure you tell your children you love them. So, as opportunities arose, I individually expressed my love and appreciation to each of my five children, which made me love them even more!
Keep It Simple
As a family, we enjoyed one of my favorite meals, which was both simple to prepare and eagerly eaten by all of my children, with no groans or complaints. (Now, there’s a gift!) I didn’t even make myself a cake, like I normally do. Instead, I ate the cupcake my friend brought me, and everyone else happily ate ice cream.
We closed out the evening like any other, and now, here I sit, content with a day well-lived. Finding contentment on this birthday has had a lot to do with mindset- choosing to receive each moment with gratitude. This might be right up there with my best birthday ever, and for that I am thankful.
What was your favorite birthday, and what made it special?
Heidi Zellmer says
What a beautiful article. Yes, I suffered from birthday let down syndrome until I was diagnosed with brain cancer a year and a half ago. For my 50th, only 4 months after surgery and during the 6 months of a chemo drug, my family celebrated by going to Hawaii. I was happy to be alive. Last year, my 51st, we found cheap, last minute tickets to Grand Cayman islands and bought them. I felt healthy and happy. It truly was the best birthday ever. I am grateful for any birthday God has given me.
Priscilla says
Happy Birthday! My favorite adult birthday was when I ran a hilly half Marathon to celebrate turning 50. My sweet husband ran with me. The race went up a mountain on leafy, rocky, sun-speckled trails, and we got spectacular autumn views of the surrounding area when we got to the top. (Then we had to run all the way back down, darn it!) I was thankful I was physically able to do it. It was fun!
Aimee Mae Wiley says
Priscilla, that sounds amazing! You were light years ahead of me at 50, compared to where I am today physically. What an accomplishment! Thanks for the birthday wishes. 🙂