Happy Birthday - Altered Images

53 Degrees w/ a risk of severe weather in Pilsen

As Always if there is a song, play it as you read <3

Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday, happy birthday

I’m writing this the night before my birthday and publishing it the afternoon after, so it’s very much giving—If You’re Reading This It’s The Day After My Birthday

Until very recent years, birthdays and I were never really on good terms.

See, I was pretty badly hurt in my childhood. Assaults of a certain variety became part of my story when I was still in the single digits and went well into my pre-teens. Because of that, birthdays became a reminder that the biggest wishes made yearly over pink cakes don’t always come true. Time passed and when May 9 came around it didn’t fill me with complete dread, but I certainly didn’t mind the day casually passing by.

I always knew I should celebrate it, another year on earth is nothing to scoff at. Many of my Black queer ancestors would have loved to be blessed with the opportunity to age.

So, years back I came up with a little ritual.