Friday 20 November 2015

Birthdays


We never celebrated birthdays when we were little. My granny said eating birthday cakes would make us naughty. It probably is an old wives' tales, but all kids grow up a little naughty, if not, cheeky.

Naturally, I got quite accustomed to not celebrating my birthday too. The act of huddling around a person and a cake with flames on it, while others sing in unison seems like what a cult would do. That goes for campfires too. I can only imagine a murderer lurking in the dark, preying and choosing his/ her first victim.

When my family starting celebrating birthdays, I simply went along, because it seems like that's what they'd want.

You see, motherhood is such an odd thing. It changed so much I knew about myself, sometimes I no longer know this person. Is it an obsession or simply love?



2nd November 2012 was the day I first met Emma. I was so caught up with the pulses of pain, I couldn't and didn't make sense of anything. The pain went on for 8 hours. Finally, I was told my hips are apparently too small to expand any further. A natural delivery was not possible. Mask on, Epidural up and I was in a blur. Fast-forward three years, Emma has grown into a little lady who calls Julia as 'my Julia'.

31st October 2014. This date was chosen by a Fengshui master. If I brought up Julia well, she could be a 官 or official, he said. I hope we're doing alright. Brendan said he didn't want Julia to be a Halloween baby, but I'm too Chinese to care about dressing up and children with their sugar rush. She has been nothing close to horror, but she's cheeky and always up for play with Emma.

Emma and Julia clearly love each other very much. They roll around in bed and that's good enough to get giggles out of them.

Their birthdays not only make the day they were born. Their birthdays are also my day; the anniversary of how many years I've had this role.

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