Happy birthdays ...

December seems to be a birthday month, lots of friends are celebrating their birthdays this month at dinners and drinking sessions. I think I know a total of twelve December babies.

I would say parents of these December babies sure had lots of planning done to such that the birth of their precious gem coincides with the festive seasons of Christmas and the New Year.

The gift of life is perhaps the best present one can have for Christmas. What is it that a father can give but Santa can't? The all important seed.

During these birthday celebrations, I had some thoughts that ran through my mind. As usual, I think quite a lot. Some can be silly thoughts while some brought me tears.

Let's do a little visual playback in your brains right to the day your birth came as a huge celebration for your parents and relatives. (Forget your friends, cause you never knew them then)

In your video playback, you see anxious faces waiting outside the delivery room. While your grandparents, close relatives are pacing up and down the corridor awaiting the arrival of you, your father could just well be in the delivery room with the person whom you owe your life to for braving the pains and nurturing you to who you are right now - your mother.

As your father can only go on with words of encouragement, your mother is fighting a long battle after nine months of preganancy to push you right into this world. The first cries were heard and the doctor congratulates your mother, telling her how beautiful the baby is and that she did very well mustering the strength to carry on despite the pain experienced at childbirth.

That very day, you were born.

As days turned to months and months to years, every day was a new experience for your parents as they learn about you as they see you grow in height, teaching you the principles of life and hoping you get the best of things that you liked.

When its your birthday, your parents shower you with the most surprising gifts and to return in kind, you tend to peck them on their cheeks with a kiss, thanking them for the presents and reminding them how much you love them.

All the scenes above could well happen to you when you were younger but you might have forgotten them, like I did, especially when you reach the years of adolescence. where you experience physical and psychological developments, from puberty to maturity.

During this perioud, you seek independence from your parents but usually not given as you want to find an identity of your own. To find who you are, you make friends and more friends, with the tendency to hang out with friends more than spending quality time with your parents and siblings.

Bit by bit, you slowly pry open the grip of the hands that once held you so tight when you learnt how to walk or cycle.You rebelled when the grip tried to tighten and you cried foul when you were reprimanded from returning home late at night. You quarreled and shouted back at your parents when they asked about your friends. You pleaded with them that you wanted freedom and more freedom. Afterall, you just celebrated your 18th birthday with your friends yesterday and you are now an adult.

As you turn 28, like I did earlier this year, I look back in time and asked myself a question. For the past many years, with whom did I celebrate the very day my father and mother gave life to me? Simple. It was friends.

Its a sad answer because my friends didn't give me life, they did however walked with me but my parents, they carried me when I was tired, fed me when I was hungry and gave me education so that I could lead a better life. It was my parents who took many years of pain and love to make me who I am yet I cannot remember when was the last time I sat with them for a simple celebration on the anniversary of my birth.

I couldn't control my emotions as tears filled my eyes and streamed my cheeks when I typed the last few paragraphs of this blog of mine because I feel ashamed of myself for not making time to spend with family on the very day of my birth date. Its often the excuse that it's a work day and that everyone is busy but I am sure no matter how busy, as loving fathers and mothers, they will surely take time out to celebrate one of the most important days of your life - your birthday.

I will now make it a point to celebrate each of my birthday with my parents, brothers, godparents, grandparents and of course not forgetting, my beloved wife-to-be, Sandy. I hope everyone too could do the same as I am sure all parents will love the time given to them to celebrate that all important birthday of their precious gem.