This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
It's a chilly October Saturday in 2015, and my wife and I are throwing a birthday party for our one-year-old son, Milan. We've decided to go all out, calling it the 'Blue Birthday' (BB) and dressing the whole family in blue to match the theme.
As we look back, it's clear that our decision to throw an extravagant party was influenced by our good fortune in business that year. We had made some lucrative deals, and the disposable income was there to spend. But was it really necessary to break the bank for a one-year-old's birthday?
Fast forward to the present, and I'm going through old photos with my son. He points to a picture and says, 'a baby!' when I ask him who it is. He denies it's his birthday, despite my best efforts to convince him. It's a poignant moment that makes me question our decision to throw such an elaborate party.
Perhaps my mom was right all along. Maybe our son's birthday is remembered more by people of my age because it's a day they got wasted and trooped back home staggering like drunk hyenas. Or maybe it was necessary to appreciate ourselves for parenting for a whole year of colic, immunisations, sleepless nights, and poop.
One thing is certain: the memorabilia will always be there for him to look at when he finally accepts that the boy in blue was actually him. Although we don't regret what we did, we've been hesitant to do another extravagant event for him. These days, we only buy him presents and cake to share with children in the estate.
