Celebrate Time: Happy Clock Birthday to Everyone!
You are probably wondering: “Clock Birthday. What the heck is that?” Well, you aren’t the only one. Every time I wish someone new a “happy clock birthday” they look at me like I just sprouted a third eyeball.
My middle son thinks it’s dumb and rolls his eyes when I say it. My daughter and oldest son play along and say “thank you.” My brother called it lame and said “that’s not a thing” Well, why isn’t it? I would LOVE to make it a thing. My sisters think I am weird, but that’s not new.
What Is a Clock Birthday?
The simple definition, for me, is it basically converts your birthdate to the time on the clock. It allows us to literally celebrate time by relating it to the day we were born. For example, if your birthday is on St. Patrick’s Day, then your “clock birthday” would be 3:17 both am and pm, every day. Leap Year babies would be able to celebrate their birthdays (clock birthday) every day, at 2:29 am and pm, just like everyone else! No more waiting four years until their actual birthdate is on the calendar. Were you born on Christmas Day? Then, your clock birthday is 12:25. You get the idea.
I think this is fabulous and here is why. Think about it, there are people (myself included) who LOVE to celebrate their birthday. There are some who celebrate all month long and others who even celebrate their half birthday. If you fall into any of these groups or one I didn’t think of, celebrating your clock birthday would be perfect for you.
How I Started the Clock Birthday “Thing”
I have been wanting to tell this story for a very long time. Almost 21 years, to be exact. When the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon happened on September 11, 2001, I was devastated. Witnessing all of the destruction on television caused something inside of me I cannot effectively put into words. I felt like a part of me was affected even though I was nowhere near any of the sites (including where the plane went down in Pennsylvania) and didn’t have a personal connection to anyone that was affected.
Ever since that day (date), I cannot see the numbers 9/11 on anything without my heart skipping a beat or even hurting.
A few years later, someone gave me some important advice. In order to change your outlook from a negative to a positive, you need to take your negative thought and turn it into three positive ones. So, each time it was 9:11 on the clock, I would try to think about at least one positive thing instead of the events of that horrible day. From there, I started to look at the clock as a way to celebrate time instead of dreading it. So, I focused my thoughts on people’s birthdays.
Why is the Clock Birthday Important to Me
I will take any excuse to celebrate life’s wonderful and positive things versus focusing on anything negative. My life isn’t perfect, far from it, but the happiness I feel when I look at the clock and it’s either 4:21 (MY Clock Birthday – or that of any of my kids and other family members), I choose to smile and appreciate that we all have this opportunity to spend more time together!
In my mind, it can also apply to those who are no longer with us. My father passed away almost one year ago, on February 27th. When I see his birthday on the clock, it reminds me that he is still “here” and watching over the family. See, happy thoughts!
I hope you will take a lighthearted approach to this instead of thinking it’s lame or dumb. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the people in our lives and acknowledge their existence when their birthdates appear on our clocks!
Happy “Clock Birthday” to ALL of you x 2, every day!
