The most wonderful time of the year!

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

I too have a birthday coming up, mine is on New Year's Day. Growing up I always felt like I got screwed over having a birthday so close to Christmas so when I had my second child whose birthday is on December 29th I made it my business to make sure her birthday was always special. Even now when everyone else overlooks her birthday (she will be 32 this go around) I always send her something and call to sing Happy Birthday to her.

Having seen more than my or anyone's fair share of a few (or ten) psychologists and psychiatrists in my younger years, you would be surprised how many of them asked me this very question upon seeing my birth date. Apparently, parents throwing a special birthday day in with Christmas and not acknowledging the birthday separately was cause for notation?

When I was little, both days were something special but I do remember a few times when I got older and got something big or expensive, it was a combined Christmas and birthday present because my folks weren't rich but I still got a birthday dinner or cake or something and my step-dad used to chase me around the house threatening to give me birthday spankings.

I was an only child with a lot of problems and undoubtedly received some special care and attention but I can see how in larger families with multiple siblings and with expenses and all how a birthday so close to Christmas might get lost. I'm sorry if that happened to you.

Nah, it wasn't anything like that. My parents were always more worried about partying and ringing in the new year. New clothes and the night out at whatever nightclub was most hip with enough booze and drugs to make them sleep my birthday away the next day while my sister and I stayed home and I watched all of their party friends kids until 3-4am. Once, on New Year's Eve of my 16th birthday they took me out with them. I drank 5 bottles of wine with my mom and danced all night with a bunch of dirty old men. I only ever had one birthday party my whole life, when I turned 6 years old. Appreciate the sentiment though!