Life is a long journey with uphills and downhills. There are special moments that make you cry and funny memories that make you laugh. Birthdays are a reminder of the past years and the changes they bring. From innocent children to wise and independent adults, each year of age means different things to everyone. This prompts the question, have you ever wondered what changes your birthday brings to you every year?
For young children, the annual celebration usually revolves around gifts and parties. This is commonly their happiest day, a day when they can have fun and receive all the nice things in the world. In children’s eyes, growing up one year old may mean gaining new privileges or responsibilities. Maybe they can finally have the power to control their pocket money, get their first electronic product as a gift, or share more important tasks at home. For children, growing up is a sense of accomplishment and they eagerly await the day when they can proudly declare, “I am now a year older! I’m a big kid and I can change the world.”Children in every family will think differently, and this is just a one-sided conjecture.
Later, as children enter puberty, they may engage in behaviors they never thought they would do. They experience deeper transformations, discover new challenges and interests, discover themselves, build friendships, and reinvent themselves. Birthdays at this time are a sign of personal growth. One high school student, Christine Serbu (10), reflects on her 16th birthday, “Getting older means more independence, but it also means more responsibility. Suddenly, you feel like you’re about to become an adult. It’s very exciting and a little overwhelming, but it’s part of your life. That’s a part of growing up.”
Coming after, as young adults enter their twenties, birthdays are often filled with nostalgia and anticipation. The twenties are a pivotal decade marked by career choices, relationships, and personal development. Birthdays are checkpoints for reflecting on goals and desires.
Afterward, birthdays may become dispensable to adults. They have received many achievements, regrets, and wishes. They know that things cannot be obtained by making wishes. To be noticed, these stories and states of mind will vary from experience to experience. Nowadays, everything in life is fast-paced, and birthdays are the days to remind them to cherish this journey.
Moreover, as individuals move into their senior years, birthdays become a celebration of resilience and experience. Every year is a gift. Recalling what they have sacrificed to get to this point, the wisdom they gained along the way, and the things they cherish.
In short, every birthday reminds people of their past, but this is not an invitation to dwell on the mistakes you have made. For high school students, this is a chance to cherish the present, cope with the challenges of adolescence, and shape a hopeful future. We should be grateful for the past, accept the past, learn from the experience, and apply it to the future.
Look forward to embracing future opportunities, and always being on the road to action. You have to write your own story.
