Happy Birthday Chasing Joy! Let Them Eat Cake!

Today is my birthday.  I am 34 years old.  Or should I say 34 years young?  I actually feel like I’m about….. hmmm, maybe 28. But 34 it is.  To my dismay, I did not wake up any smarter or wiser this morning.  Looks like I’ll still be learning as I go like I have for the last 33 years.

About 10 days ago I called my favorite bakery (and past Chasing Joy Charity Event sponsor)  Bredenbecks and ordered a raspberry pound cake for my birthday.  Since my birthday is also Saint Patrick’s Day, I had them decorate the cake in St. Patty’s Green icing with shamrocks.

Everyone Loved My Birthday Cake from Bredenbecks. It was Raspberry Pound, Yummy! If you are in the Philly area, definitely order your next cake from Bredenbecks.

The lady who answered the phone was kind and professional as she took my order. She asked what I wanted the cake to say and I told her Happy Birthday Arlett.  We discussed other details of my order and just before ending the call she asked my name. I said Arlett.  She immediately gasped and said something  like, Oh My Gosh You Are Ordering Your Own Cake! That’s Terrible! She then really quickly said, in a less shocked and happier tone, Well, at least you are getting exactly what you want!

Prior to the call I did not think there was anything unusual or weird about ordering one’s own birthday cake.  I love Birthdays. I love Cake.  Of course they should go together.  As a matter of fact, whenever I attend a birthday outing sans birthday cake I am profoundly disappointed.  LOL  I wouldn’t want to subject my friends to such disappointment so of course I’d order a cake.  Only after hearing birthday cake salesgirl’s reaction to me ordering the cake for  myself did I realize that most people don’t order their own cakes.  Parents order cakes for their kids, adult kids order cakes for the parents and spouses and co-workers order cakes for each other.

For about 90 seconds I had a woe is me moment.  Poor me, I don’t have a husband or boyfriend to order a cake for me.  Poor me, I don’t have anyone to do special things for me or help me with tasks like shoveling, carrying heavy things or other “man’s work” type duties.  Poor Me, blah, blah, blah….

Then  I quickly snapped myself out of it.  No, I thought, I’m not going to feel bad about ordering my own cake.  I was in a good mood before the call and I’m going back to it.  I’ve ordered my own cake now for a few years and it is no big deal.  Birthday cake salesgirl is right!.  I am getting exactly what I want.  My cake will not have any gross Red Icing and I won’t have to hope I like it.  I know I will like it and my birthday is after all about me and I should have what I want.

The way we treat ourselves teaches other people how to treat us.  I treat myself very well for my birthday.  I spend it with friends. I go out to eat with my mom. I go to the spa. I buy a special outfit.  I buy myself fun Saint Patrick’s Day T-shirts, socks, and earrings to wear.  I enjoy my birthday and I don’t really wait for anyone else to plan these things for me. When I meet Mr. Joy Chaser he will know exactly how to help me celebrate my birthday.  He will not have to ask my mom or friends what to do for me to make it special. He will know exactly how to treat me because he will see how I treat me.

How do you treat yourself?  Are there fun or special things you want to do, but you are waiting for someone else to plan it for you? Are you teaching people to treat you well because you treat yourself well or are you teaching others that you can make do with the bare minimum because that is all that you do for yourself?????

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. But I’d totally do one because Bredenbeck’s Cakes and Petit Fours are so yummy!!!

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