August is the month of birthdays in my family. My mom’s birthday is on the 15th and my dad’s is on the 27th. I still don’t know clearly which were the years that they were born in. You try asking them – and they also seem a bit hazy about the subject. Every time I ask them, I get a range of numbers. What is confirmed is that both of them will be retiring from their respective jobs in 2015. So I assume that they are both 52 years old.

The whole culture of birthdays is quite unique in our family, which is to say, that we don’t really celebrate any birthdays.

This tradition (or the lack of it) started during the late 80’s when we had our life changing accident (post which my dad was bedridden for 5 years). During those days, it used to be a daily struggle to make ends. I suppose all the money that was collectively earned in our family was spent entirely on two things : medical treatments, and my education. Neither did we have the money to, nor could we physically go to have even a dinner at a restaurant. I recall that I wanted a G.I.Joe set when I was 7 years old, and I took my mom to a toys shop to buy it. When the shopkeeper quoted a price in the range of 5000 Rs, I quickly told my mom to buy me a small toy car instead. I didn’t ask for any birthday gifts after that year. This way, the tradition of celebrating birthdays was modelled more into reflecting our lifestyle.

When I was 5 years old, I would come back from school and my father would cook rotis on the gas kept next to the bed (within his arms’ reach) and he would feed them to me with Jam or Gems. My mother would come back home and tend to my dad’s dressings and wounds. We used to live in a single room house. The kitchen was the space next to the bed.

That was more than 20 years ago. We have come a long way from there.

Apart from rebuilding and strengthening their bones, financial situation and home, my parents invested heavily in cementing their belief in God. That is one of the strongest foundations which helped them to be strong in their journey. I don’t question their belief – I have no right to. If anything, I am more prone to subscribe to them. But there is one difference. While they worship a higher power that can only be seen in their hearts, I worship a much more physical manifestation of that higher power – them.

I’m sure every family has its story of hardships and love. Ours is probably no different. It’s how you perceive it, remember it and value it is what matters.

So every year on their birthday, I bring some sweets and we eat them at midnight. We don’t get any gifts, we don’t go out to a restaurant specifically on these days. And I hope to myself and pray to God, that I am able to keep them happy and proud.

Happy Birthday! 🙂