Birthdays have always been troubling for me, too. I like for my family to say happy birthday, and NO more than that. I have despised birthday parties since about 10 years old when I had a horrible experience being forced to invite my entire class to a party when none of them were my friends. It has taken several years to get my boss to stop putting the date on the office calendar. Somehow she, and others, think I have some social obligation to provide the excuse for their gorging on a pile of really crappy cake. It is MY birthday and if I want to keep it to myself that is my privilege to decide, not theirs.

Christmas is another similar event I can be much happier chucking into the nearest landfill.