My Birthday.

My birthday makes me nervous.  Hands down one of the most stressful days for me.  Not because I'm getting older, that isn't it at all; well, ok, maybe a little.  I hate being the center of attention.  HATE it.  And everyone keeps asking me what I want to do....and I don't have an answer for them!  My family doesn't really celebrate birthdays.  Not kidding, I only remember one of my birthdays celebrated with extended family...and even then the only birthday related thing was the cake that we always had after dinner was the one I picked for once.  That's about it.  When I was a teenager, we were not even home for my birthday.  My mom would take my sister and I to Florida for that week but not because of my birthday, just because the airfare is really cheap for that week for whatever reason.  We wouldn't celebrate while we were down there.  It was always just another day.  My mom never made us birthday cakes for us kids, we didn't get presents, it was just.another.day.

When I got older, I just continued the practice of not making a big deal about it.  When Heather was here, we would do a dinner and go out with the girls for our joint birthday bash, and she always made that day really special.  We were so close, we thought the same way about stuff, we were so close in age, we grew up in the same type of home/area.  So, when my birthday rolled around after she passed away, I didn't do anything.  I couldn't.  I stayed home.  Last year Tony took me to dinner but that was about it.  And this year, the girls are forcing me to go out but I was supposed to be in Maine for this whole week with my mom -- those plans changed real quick when I lost my job....I picked the restaurant and Elizabeth picked out the rest of the stuff.  I hope I can get through it without too much drama.  The weathermen are saying that will be the best day of the week, sunny and mid-60's.  Honestly though, I don't expect gifts from anyone, or cards even, it is just another day, right?

How did you celebrate your birthday as a kid?  How do you do it now?