Thank you, nothingness

Why is it that when you have to say "Happy Birthday" to a person, you need to send a reminder note stating how good they are, how the bonding is (not "kaisa hain yeh bandhan" kind...) between the sender and the receiver and thanking them all for it? Why would personal praising or appreciation has to be so vested in trying to making one feel good on Birthdays? Can we be happy without being reminded what we did for the other person?

I was flooded with the above thoughts while browsing greeting cards for my father. All of them had thanking the progenitor before wishing them Happy Birthday or thereafter. I tried to sift through but it was a stressful decision to choose among the options: (a) the thank-you-and-now-happy-birthday notes and (b)-you-have-been-so-good-and-so-happy-birthday notes.

Whatever happened to "Happy Birthday and lots of love?" or "wish you have fun on your birthday?"

Can you really thank a lifetime?

I don't mean to say that when you cannot do a task, there's no point in attempting it. But delimiting some from others and thanking people for them, who mean the world to you is somewhat unsavory.



Especially when those "thanks" come on the occasion of birthdays.



I wonder whether I would have a single non-thankful card when I get older....20 years from now.