On this, the Anniversary of Your Birth

I recently turned 25. I like to joke that it’s time to have a quarter-life crisis. You know, trade that sports car in for a minivan, and start dating older men. I find it hilarious that people freak out over turning 25 or 30. With the average life expectancy in the US rising, being 30 is practically still a baby!

I have my whole life ahead of me. I’ve only been out of college for 4 and a half years. Hell, I still refer to things with “half” added to them. I noticed when I was 24-and-a-half. I’ll notice again this December when I am 25-and-a-half. I love these milestones. Birthdays, holidays, other people’s birthdays. I get as excited, of not more so, about other people’s birthdays as I do my own!

It’s because I love buying gifts for people. Two of my best friends in the whole world, Mike and Chris, turn 25 today. Because I live in NY and they live in FL, this is the first year I am not able to be around. I am, however, still able to buy them gifts!

My friends know not to expect something practical from me. Practical is from my mother, your mother, their mother, maybe their well-meaning-but-not-quite-getting-it significant others. I don't give practical to my best friends. The ONLY exception to this is when it is something they actually need and specifically ask for. Otherwise, I’m hitting the toy aisle.

They do it too! Among recent years, I have received: a slip n’ slide (yes, we played with it), a bubble wand, a huge thing of water balloons (with convenient filler nozzles), and more.

This year, I hit up Toys R Us online! So not only do they get cool gifts, which are NOT socks, but they also get to receive a package in the mail. And everyone loves getting presents in the mail. It’s one of those things, like fireworks and Halloween, that take us back to a time of youth and excitement. What could it be? Shake it a little, look at the address label. And finally, rip it open in excitement and glee. And for those few minutes, we don’t care where the packaging went, or that we have to clean it up later, we don’t rip the paper off carefully, and we use our hands, nails, and teeth, before finally resorting to going off and finding scissors for that ONE inevitable stubborn piece of tape we have to cut through.

They are going to love it! I can’t spill yet, as they read this blog and haven’t received it yet. BUT, I can tell you it’s fun, silly, something their parents wouldn’t get them, and completely impractical for an adult.

Bet you $10 that they are even more psyched to receive it since reading this!

Happy 25^th birthday, Mike and Chris Kilborn. AKA 2 of my best friends in the whole world.

PS Emily (AKA other bffeeee), I love you dearly and wish I could have made a supercool blog post about you on YOUR birthday, but I didn’t have a blog at that time. Please accept my undying love and affection, and laughing while kicking your husband out of bed so that you and I can indulge in girl talk without him, as a substitute until next year. :)