Quarantine Birthday

Published on by ortensia

The highlight of the last two weeks?Mmm🤔,my birthday, of course!!!!. And not because I ‘m a ruthless prima donna, but because I am genetically inclined to worship birthdays. Anyone birthday.
I grew up with a woman who is, in fact, a sort of birthdays freak. My mother,aka Nona, remembers anyone’s birthday and religiously calls the birthday boy or girl on the day. If then, they belong to the category of close relative or friend, she will gift them with a present. The present will be promptly delivered on the day of the birthday, and if that it is not possible, then it will be handed a few days in advance. Not too much in advance or else, they can think you want to get it out of your way and absolutely never after the birthday had passed or else they might think you had forgotten.
The same goes for the main festivity like Easter and Christmas.
When still a child, I clearly remember my mum, address book in hand, sitting on the chair beside the console where the telephone was, (in those days there was only the landline and even not cordless), and dialling numbers like there was no tomorrow.
When a bit older, and according to my mother in one of my most rebellious phases, I tried to suggest that maybe she could wait for them to call for once. Superfluous to say that it didn’t go down well!
Despite all her effort to train me, I have never felt l the pressure of the religious occurrences, maybe because I am not religious at all. A thing this one, that I am sure good old Freud could link to my upbringing, but I won’t go deep in this because I have learnt that Nona , (thanks to google translate), regularly reads the blog.
Where her imprinting didn’t fail to stick, instead, is on the Birthdays worship. As for family tradition, even in my house birthdays are sacred, and my clan never had a birthday without candles, balloons, cakes and presents.
Unfortunately, the travelling husband didn’t have the same family imprinting I had, but I trained him well. Still, genetic is unquestionable, and while daughter number two took after me, daughter number one took after the paternal side of the family.
Father and daughter are present last-minute buyers and normally going on a shopping trip the Saturday before my birthday. Something that this year they couldn’t do. I think they thought to be off the hook because of the quarantine but I’ ll be damned if I skip my birthday full pack of birthday celebration and even more damned if I get involved in it. Rule number one of a good birthday is that everything must be a surprise.
So, here I am, actively but discretely reminding them how long deliveries take in lockdown…Hoping that message is clear: I still want my present and my cake and on the day. When I noticed that the stock of wrapping paper I keep in the study has gone, I know the message has been received. Never mind the present is a tin of beans (better if it is something else of course) but it must be a surprise, and it must be nicely wrapped.
Now I only have to be sure that they remember the decorations, and so I leave the basket with the party stuff in the middle of the landing where they can all trip on it.
With a bit of anxiety about what is awaiting me, I got up on the 24Th to find balloons, handmade signs and lovely gifts, handmade and not.
Despite the odds, it was one of my best birthday ever and the first when even Nona had followed the suggestions she was given. Well, not that she could do otherwise considering that no shop is open in Italy and so she had to turn to Amazon. Something in a normal situation unthinkable as a birthday present must be bought only after careful research and some effort. Every gift is carefully planned and thought according to the person that goes to. There are no generic gifts to click on a screen in Nona’s world, or at least there weren’t … until this year when she had to capitulate and buy me a bath tray, with the promise that she will get me something else as soon life will go back to normal.
I, myself, would have thought to ask for a bath tray in a million years, but that was before the self-isolation when I barely had time for a bubbly bath once a year. Now, in this new life, I can bath weekly, switch on the bubble and now even bring with me a glass of wine and sky go.
Now I’m just waiting for the next trip to the supermarket to show off the lovely handbag the traveling husbnad got me. In the meantime I must decide if let the girls clean the windows or polish the silver first. Poor creatures, still so naive to gift me with a voucher booklet for domestic services.
So, yes, quarantine can have bright sides😉.

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74 thoughts on “Quarantine Birthday”

  3. Happy Birthday, my friend! I just loved this post. My mother was a big holiday/birthday person, too so I totally understand the need for a big surprise. My father, on the other hand, was doing well to remember what year I was born, say nothing of the month and day. I never inherited my mother’s zeal. My husband, on the other hand remembers every date. He is not one to buy presents and that type of thing, but he remembers. When I buy something big I will always say to him; “Oh hon, this is one of the best birthday presents ever!” even though it’s six months later. 🙂

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  10. Happy Birthday, Ortensia!!! I love my birthday too. A quarantine birthday resembles my typical birthday anyway. I take the day off from work and stay home and watch birds or putter; basically doing anything that comes to mind. I am never disappointed.
    I am so pleased to hear your day was festive. I wish you all the joy in the world! Happy “New Year”! Love, Regina

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      3. When I worked in the high school, there was a boy named John who had the nose of a hound! He could be in another part of the hallway, smell the biscotti and do a complete 180. He would say “you have cookies…I know you have cookies!” I don’t know how he did it.

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  11. Happy birthday! That’s great that everyone worked to give you the celebration you love and deserve.

    I know you will be appalled, but I have been known to forget my own birthday. It is three days before Christmas when everyone is very busy with other things.

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    1. Oh, birthday close to festivity are the worst.but I suppose you can’t change it right.? But here it one fur you . A friend of mine born on the 24th of December due to the fact that his birthday clashes with that of someone far more important than her, she started to celebrate half birthday, so may be you could try a semestral birthday celebration too😉

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