Sweet 16

"When is your birthday?" asked April. Sunday night we had went to the Oasis building to help rearrange some tables for the Fall Festival. "This coming Thursday." I replied. "Wow, this Thursday? I mean, I knew it was on November eleven, I just hadn't gathered that it was actually November already." Said Rachael. "How old will you be?" asked April. "Sixteen" I replied. "What will you do for your birthday?" asked Leah. For a short moment I reflected on the past three years. "Probably nothing." I said. "What? Why not? It's your sixteenth birthday." Said Leah. "I don't know, I've not really had a birthday party for the past two or three years so, I don't really see a reason to have one now, besides, we're all busy moving." I said simply. "Can't you ask your mom and dad to throw you a party?" she asked. "I could but if the idea isn't theirs' then they probably don't really want to and if they don't want to than I don't want them to." I said quite simply.

The Night Before.

"So your birthday is coming up." Said Kristi. "Ooooh! What are you gonna do?" asked her sister Felisha. "Um I don't know, probably nothing special." I said. "Oh... We don't normally have a party for my birthday either." said Kristi. "Just a little family get together with a cake." "That's nice." I said. "Nice? I don't get to see any of my friends.." She said. I wasn't trying to sound mopy... I really don't care. "At least you have a cake." I replied. I guess I shouldn't have said it. I really don't even like cake I was just saying it could be worse. "What do you mean? You don't get a cake?" She asked. "Well, I'm pretty sure I would get one if I asked for one." I said simply again. "But they don't buy you one? It's like a tradition. You're always supposed to have a cake on you're birthday." She insisted. "Why?" I said bluntly. "Because," she laughed "it's a cake, you don't need a reason why." 'I would rather blow the candles out of ice cream than a cake anyways.' I thought. "okay." I said giving up on arguing with her.

Friday.

"What do you want for your birthday?" Asked Dad. "You ask me that every year, I always tell you the same thing, I don't know." 'when will they stop asking?' I thought as sighed. "Well if you don't tell me I won't know what to get you." Said Dad. 'Which is exactly why I don't tell you.' I thought once more but decided to remain silent.

The thing is, whenever my birthday comes around I am reminded how little everyone knows me. There are few material things in life that I want. Other than that I just want to know that they care. A party where the family or friends decided to throw it for you without even seeing if you wanted one just because they wanted to be nice, that says "I care". And if you have to ask me what I want for my birthday than that says. "I don't know you well enough to know what you want without having to ask you" that or "I don't feel like taking the time to think about what you like or what you might want for your birthday". So if you want to know what for I want for my birthday it's for you to figure it out on your own. I'm not trying to be mean but every time someone asks what I want for my birthday I feel like it's for one of the reasons above. If you ask me the best gift you can give is a gift that says I care...