Oh so enjoyed this Facebook post. This is the story of our childhood. I have a twin brother, we were born on Christmas Day. Prior to my Dad’s death (when I was 8 years old), my Dad and Mum made a big thing of our birthday celebrations . I have wonderful memories of magical treasure hunts in Fiji particularly, at these birthday events. My Dad would type up lists of things to collect we would find things at the beach, in the jungle, life was an adventure. We spent our childhood living in Samoa and Fiji until we were 8 years old. This was an idyllic childhood in nature.
Our return to New Zealand was challenging for Mum with a large family and all the challenges that come with huge changes she had to navigate to manage alone and so we returned to ‘this space’ as in the Facebook page. The twins birthday presents often preceded with a comment that your birthday/Christmas present is bigger than your siblings Christmas present, as they are for your birthday and Christmas!!
I have to admit that I have no real memories of feeling left out no having birthday celebrations (the only memory is the one in the Facebook image focussed on the 'present') and our next significant birthday was our 21st, where all relatives gathered for such celebrations, it was a large and happy event!!
Celebrating our 21st birthday with Mum (Peter and Wendy)
My next significant birthday celebration was when I was 40. We had returned from living in Scotland and had returned to Rotorua. Friends had a Ceilidh band called Mosstroopers that was disbanding due to members moving in different directions and they offered to play a for final Rotorua event, that was my birthday celebration. This was such fun a full weekend on marae including powhiri, staying in the wharenui, partying and dancing in the wharekai and poroporoaki to complete the Ceilidh birthday event with all families joining in!! Here are a few photos from the weekend.
David and Patrick, both in kilts celebrating Scotland!
Everyone joined in the fun, for me an incredible night for all the whānau!
Well my next memorable celebration was initiated by my husband and partner Dave Rowe. I have to say after almost 45 years of marriage he never fails to surprise me with his thoughtful and rather astonishing ideas!
It was the year of my 60th birthday and he had decided he wanted to put some fun into the celebration, given that my birthdays were generally not really celebrated. So unbeknown to me me he invented a rather fabulous idea. I share this as I think it is a pretty inspiring idea for anyone’s birthday and could be adapted in so many ways. Especially for those who have birthdays at times like Christmas or New Year, that take prominence over an individuals birthday. So it began. Six weeks before my 60th birthday he announced that the 6 ’T’s’ would begin, this would be the start of my 60th celebration leading to Christmas Day. So it was, each week another ’t’ would be revealed for me to enjoy. Each week a beautiful message was written inside a very tiny card…..The 6 ’t’s’ for my 60th birthday included:
- T for taste - beautiful restaurant dinner
- T for treat - off to enjoy the spa
- T for theatre - out to enjoy a night of ‘culture’.
- T for treasure - A fabulous Robyn Kahukiwa print
- T for trinket - a necklace
- T for travel - a holiday and a return to the place of my childhood.
I am now enjoying the lead into the my 70th birthday with 7 weeks of celebration - such an awesome way to enjoy a birthday. These are my first 5 ’t’s’ as I head towards Christmas Day.
