Smials

On my 22nd birthday I threw myself a Hobbit-style bash: lots of food, friends, and smials. "Smials?" you ask, "What are those?" Well, my dear friend, you should read The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Smials are gifts that are given, usually on one's birthday, to those who come to the party. They are usually an item of not much value or purpose and were often re-gifted. I wrapped up 30 small items that I owned and gave them to my guests. Sheets, books, cups, knick-knacks, they all were given away. In general, I do not enjoy my birthday. There's so much birthday hype. "You deserve this! You should ask for this! Go here! Get this! Get free that!" I don't care. This is, in some ways, why I don't enjoy Christmas as much as I'd like. I hate expecting gifts. I am, without fail, disappointed; and that disappointment leads to guilt because I should be appreciative of the gifts I get. And I am! Please don't think I'm not. But for me, the sentiment behind the gift is much more important than the item itself. Because people feel obligated to give me gifts on my birthday, the sentiment is often...lacking. Forced gifts are often bad gifts, and then I feel obligated to convince the giver that I AM thankful, that I AM grateful, and that, of course, I lOVE it. Just get me together with my friends, throw in some good food, delightful beverage, and the opportunity for me to show my love to those around me. And I like showing my love with smials. So...there it is. Hopefully next year I'll be able to throw another Hobbit-style bash.