And it is we, those people with whom the birthday honoree has shared her life, who celebrate the anniversary of her birth. The sense of expectation that we have for an approaching birthday tends to decrease as we advance in years. As children we eagerly anticipate our birthday for several reasons the special attention, the presents, perhaps the occasion of a party, complete with a unique cake especially for us. As we become older, however, birthdays seem to lose some of their former luster. This may be because the novelty eventually wears off.
Years seem to become shorter, birthdays seem to fall closer together.
Perhaps also it is because, generally speaking, the older we are the less we change from year to year. In any case the birthday is the primary means by which we measure our lives through time. While other annual events indicate the passing of general time, the birthday serves to mark off our own personal time as well. But on the birthday it snaps into focus, if fleetingly. We become aware that time truly has been passing for us.