Birthday Cards on Notebook Paper
January 27, 2023
Author: Hannah Adhab
Editor: Zoe Harris
Tucked away in the back corner of my closet, there is a shoebox that holds every birthday card I have ever received. For as long as I can remember, I have stashed these mementos away, not because I frequently find myself rereading them, but because they have simply felt far too precious to throw out. However, as much as I love my own birthday, I love celebrating other people’s birthdays far more.
Growing up, my parents never failed to make my sister and I feel special on our special days, and it’s from them that I learned the importance of extending that feeling to others. Easily my overarching love for birthdays comes from having a whole day dedicated to letting someone in your life know how special they are to you. As someone who isn’t always the best at expressing how grateful I am for the people I cherish, I can look forward to my friends’ birthdays to remind them.
In my notes app, I have a list where I immediately jot down any and all birthday gift ideas the second they come to mind. Whether something that I see, think, or remember was mentioned as a love or need...... There is no feeling more rewarding than seeing the look on a friend’s face when they open their gifts, regardless of how big or small.
In high school, I began writing my friends’ birthday cards on notebook paper. The myriad of Hallmark cards at Target could never convey my exact message, and those physical cards were always too small anyways. If I really wanted to express to my friends how much they meant to me, I required more than a folded 5x7 of cardstock. Although not as aesthetically pleasing, it’s the thought that counts, and there’s just something about a piece of loose-leaf that means so much more.
Living in a sorority house this year, birthdays have become quite the group phenomenon, and everyone brings a piece of their home traditions to our group. In my case, it was my belief that the celebration should start the minute the clock hits midnight. Now, for every birthday celebration, all my friends gather outside their room, speaker in hand ready to blast “In Da Club” by 50 Cent the second it becomes 12:00am.
The following morning consists of waking up super early to wrap the birthday girl into her room. Her door receives an excessive screen of wrapping paper filled with heartfelt notes that must be broken through to really start the occasion. Of course, every birthday must also have a candle to blow out. Sometimes, living in the house means getting creative such as putting a scented candle on top of a cookie, but no matter what resides as the impromptu birthday cake, it’s essential that a wish can be made.
Being able to create these birthday traditions with my friends that we have been able to carry on as we go through college have furthered my belief that I love celebrating other people more than myself. I love seeing my friends’ faces light up when they see all the effort and thought that other people have put into them.
Image: Julia Bonnano
