Whenever August 1st comes around,
“It’s the beginning of Birthday Month!”
I’d play along to a certain extent,
More times than not I’d also tease,
“People only get one birthday,
No one gets an entire month!”
Over the years my hesitation broke down,
Caused by her infectious excitement.
My gemela’s longterm habit:
Challenging me to tweak my outlook,
Viewing events in a brighter way,
Breathing life into monotony,
Honoring each possible moment.
A single day generates pressure,
A single day to reach perfection.
A whole month offers enough time,
A whole month allows variety.
As Lu’s Birthday Month,
And her first born’s,
And her husband’s,
Winds down today,
I’m reminded of the Birthday Months we’ve spent together,
Since meeting in a 5th grade classroom those many years ago.
Lu’s Birthday Month contains utmost adventure,
Living every second as a celebration.
A consistent excuse to try new things,
And revisit the old with new eyes.
Whenever Lu added on, “…for Birthday Month!”
Whatever we did grew significance.
Anything can be ceremonial,
If your perspective encompasses it.
Perhaps “Birthday Month” should extend to 12 months a year,
Perhaps each month should be dedicated to a loved one.
Maybe then minutes and hours and days,
Wouldn’t quickly pass by without notice.
What if we viewed our life as Lu’s Birthday Month,
Where adventure awaits around every corner?
Brittan began writing poetry in June 2020, when she was consumed by emotion upon remembering memories previously hidden by dissociative amnesia. She uses poetry as a therapeutic exercise when revisiting homophobic traumatic memories and describing life with BPD & Bipolar 2. She uses poetry as a medium for self-expression when discussing Buddhism, lesbianism, and platonic love.
Mindfully Messy 