Today was my 44th birthday.
The day itself doesn’t really feel any different than any other day. I think that feeling ends when you’re around 10 years old…about the same time you stop wearing the shoes out of the shoe store after your Mom buys them and believing that they really do make you run faster.
The neat part about celebrating a birthday is how people go out of their way to make you feel special. Perhaps your spouse or children make you breakfast to start your day or there’s a gift or card waiting on your desk at work. Maybe you get to open gifts or have a special meal in your honor with friends and family. Do you choose a cake, or cupcakes (like me) or do you have some other special treat or meal you always ask for?
How Do You Treat Other People’s Birthdays?
Sure, it’s going to be different for your children or grandchildren. Those special days might include parties and celebrations of grand proportions. You have presents to start the day, treats in the school classroom (unless they celebrate a summer birthday) and usually a big planned event at home or in a fun location.
It certainly should be treated as a very special day for your spouse or partner with perhaps a special date night and some gifts that carry special meaning.
And as we all get older, a parent’s birthday (or grandparent’s for those lucky enough to still have them alive) begins to have even more meaning and it’s less about the gifts you give and more about the time you share together.
I hope for brothers and sisters you’re at least reaching out with a phone call or do you take them for granted and think to yourself “I’m sure they know I was thinking about them”? Aunts and uncles, neices, nephews and cousins would also be thrilled with some acknowledgement of their big day.
In today’s social media world it has become so easy to recognize people on their birthdays. Facebook will tell us who is celebrating a birthday today and you can even peek ahead and see whose big day is coming up (of course some people may have their privacy set up so it doesn’t show birth dates). A quick post on the wall of a birthday celebrant is a nice touch and it’s easy too.
Want to Stand Out Even More?
If you are on Facebook you could send a private message to the birthday boy or girl which will be a bit more personal because others won’t see it. You could send a video message via Facebook, YouTube, Skype or Eyejot! You could drop them an email or a text or you could even pick up the phone and attempt to wish them “Happy Birthday” or leave a message with best wishes for the day and upcoming year.
2 thoughts on “Letting Them Know You Are Thinking About Them”
Kaci Brown ·
Oh shoot! I'm a day late! I was in your class at OAR (and sat near you in Amy Chorew's class) and it was my task to remember your bday! haha I wanted to say a great speaker named Sean Carpenter said today was a special day! : ) Hope it was a great day!
Kaci Brown
Sean M. Carpenter ·
Kaci – No worries at all. I am glad you chimed in and said hello. It means a lot to me that people who attended my classes see value in the blog and hopefully get some great ideas and business from it.