Birthday Stories

Early on in life, birthdays were somewhat traumatic for me. On my first birthday, I knew little of cake and I knew nothing of birthday candles or what purpose they were suppose to serve. As the cake was placed in front of me, larger than life, with it’s single dancing flame, I was so intrigued, I decided to reach out and grab it. I had little interest in the cake, or the party all together after that.

On my second birthday, I was a little better prepared. I already knew not to touch the fire, and I had been well coached that the candles must be blown out. People sung and the cake was brought. When the singing stopped I was instructed to blow of the candles. I stood up in my chair, to have a good vantage over the cake, took my deepest breath, and as I leaned in, so close that I was sure to fully extinguish the flames, my hair, which was of a haggy nature, hung clumsily down, and just barely, into the fire. My scream did, however, blow out the candles.

By my third birthday, I knew that fire was no joke. I had pleaded with my mom that candles wouldn’t be necessary, but she insisted and reassured me that I could do it this time. I just needed not to get so close. I was told that I could blow them out, without needing to lean in quite so close. I took her word on it and agreed, reluctantly to the candles. But when the cake came, with it’s three, bright-glowing, demons of fire, I made the choice to be safe rather than sorry. I blew with all my might, while leaning back as much as I could, with my head firmly planted against the back of the chair. They encouraged me to get closer, but I wasn’t buying it. Someone even tried to push my chair closer to help, but that just made me press myself harder in to the back of the chair. Finally, after several minutes of me blowing repeatedly, and refusing to get any closer to the cake, my father came over and blew the candles out himself. The cake was cut, and I was served my piece, and I was happy.

But on my fourth birthday, I had it down. I had been to other birthdays, and I had seen how it was suppose to be done and in one big sweeping wind, I exhausted the small army guarding my cake. I smile externally and internally as I ate, because I had finally won out over the enemy candles.