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. These cards are a small part of what has made all of my birthdays so memorable. But as much as I love celebrating my birthday, I’ve come to love celebrating other people’s birthdays even 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 onto others. As someone who isn’t always the best at expressing how grateful I am for the people I cherish, I look forward to my friends’ birthdays as a designated day to remind them.
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 family’s 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.
Another tradition that I’ve continued at college is one that began in high school, when I started to write my friends’ birthday cards on notebook paper. The myriad of Hallmark cards at Target could never convey my exact message, and those cute cards were always too small anyways. If I 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.
Being able to create birthday traditions with my friends— and continue carrying on our respective ones from home— has furthered my belief that it’s much more fun celebrating other people than it is myself. I love seeing my friends’ faces light up when they see all the thought and effort that others have put into making their day special, even if it's as simple as a birthday card written on notebook paper.
Image : Julia Bonnano
