We all know how our birthdays have always been. It starts with that special person calling up exactly at twelve in the midnight and wishing you just because he/she thinks being the first one to wish defines the magnitude of their love towards you. And later on, your siblings show up in your room with a cake and you react as if you didn’t see that coming though the fact is that you did. Then your friends meet you up on your birthday and give you a gift on behalf of the whole lot but you should have to treat the whole lot. All these are passe. Try something different. Do something inspiring.

This one is to all the friends who pool in money and work in a team to surprise one man with a gift. Try something different to surprise the birthday friend. Do not give anything to him/her. Instead give something in the same money to the people who are really in need. Why gift a person who has everything when you can gift a person who has nothing and pass on the virtue to the person who has everything. That would be like a really inspiring thought. Go to an orphanage and celebrate his/her birthday with the kids and feed those kids in his/her name. Or go take him/her to a blind school on his birthday and have him/her cut the birthday cake over there with all those innocent blinds wishing him/her a colorful life. It would be really a great experience and worth sharing with others too. You could also visit an old age home and spend your time with the old people who were forsaken by their own kids. They would feel good about it too. You could also gift them instead of gifting the birthday friend. You could give scarves to women and woolen coats for men.

This one’s for the birthday boy/girl. You can treat your friends on any given day but the joy of giving to the needy on your birthday is something that would make your birthday a memorable one. So go a step ahead and donate. Donate blood perhaps. Or serve food to the poor ones. Provide blankets to those who are homeless and sleep on pavements. You know this commonly doesn’t happen on birthdays but doesn’t mean you should deter yourself from doing it. Because when God blesses you with financial strength, you shouldn’t raise your standard of living but you should raise your standard of giving. What you do for yourself is temporary but what you do for others comes along with you towards immortality. Besides, this kind of celebration would be offbeat. But don’t do it to impress anyone. Do it to inspire everyone.

So, the next time someone’s birthday is coming up, don’t think of the surprises which wouldn’t actually be that surprising but instead think of keeping someone’s appetite full, keeping someone warm, keeping someone happy. Because the joy of living lies in the joy of giving!