This is a photograph from my fourth birthday party.
My mom is wearing her wedding sari and I'm wearing a floor-length dress with a prominent red velvet bow in my hair. The little girl on the floor, on the other side of my Mom was my then-best friend, Annie. Her father was my father's best friend; it worked out nicely.
Yes, I have a spot of cake on my face; it was one of my favorite birthday cakes of all time, because it had a lemon-filling. My 6-month old sister smashed part of her head in to it, happily. She had just started to pull herself up to a standing position at that age, and the table my cake was on was almost at her eye-level.
There were over 100 people crammed in to our house for this "evening" event, which my Dad lived for; it was his famous "New Year's/Birthday/Christmas bash", which he held annually on the first weekend in January. I really miss it. I always felt like such a special girl, because my birthdays were so huge and happy.
Since 1999, we have not celebrated, because the man who organized it all, who exulted in the merriment, is gone. To some, I sound oddly petty as a 33-year old lamenting the lack of celebrating but for those who grew up with me, they know. Twenty years of huge parties created a subconscious expectation of more of them, and to abruptly end such a glittering, fun tradition was brutal, not because I was the proto-type for those twats on My Super Sweet 16, but because it is confirmation that my father is really gone.
One day, when I'm married, I'm going to bring that tradition back. I've felt incomplete without it. Maybe by then, there will be a different little girl, in a similar dress, with ribbons in her hair. I hope that I can make her feel as loved as I was when this picture was taken, a moment before my mom took the edge of her precious Kanjeevaram sari and gently brushed the frosting off my cheek.
What a cute photo - brings back memories of my own birthday "events."
Happy Birthday! Hope that you have a great weekend celebrating! :)
Posted by: Brian | 2008.01.04 at 11:56 AM
Oh my gawd. How f*cking cute are you in this pic? Soooo adorable. For a second, I thought you were preggo: "Maybe by then, there will be a different little girl, in a similar dress, with ribbons in her hair."!
Posted by: Bengali Chick | 2008.01.04 at 12:32 PM
this is an adorable picture. how sweet your mom is wearing her wedding sari for the event! not to mention if thats the original blouse after having 2 babies! now those are some good genes you inherited!!;) but good for you, wanted to recreate the ritual one day. i think it will do alot of good and alot of healing. happy birthday anna!
Posted by: nina | 2008.01.04 at 01:53 PM
Happy Birthday in advance Miss Anna. You are a most vivacious Capricorn!
Posted by: Zen | 2008.01.04 at 03:15 PM
not to mention if thats the original blouse after having 2 babies! now those are some good genes you inherited!!;)
In that picture, that is the original blouse and that is her mom SIX MONTHS after giving birth. Six months after my friend had a baby, she was still in maternity clothes. What is it about our Mothers' metabolisms!
Posted by: m | 2008.01.04 at 03:23 PM
Oh yeah, happy bday Latha :)
Posted by: m | 2008.01.04 at 03:25 PM
I hadn't seen this picture before. I always think about all your birthday parties (and your dad) this time of year. So many bittersweet memories.
On a another note, gosh those were some puffy sleeved dresses that my mom would put me in!
Posted by: Annie | 2008.01.04 at 04:17 PM
Happy birthday Latha. Please count me in for the party next year :).
Posted by: Yum | 2008.01.05 at 03:06 AM
Okay so that's crazy cuz my mom is in the back behind your mom in that pic, and the baby on the floor is actually my 2nd cousin Betsy! Her mom and dad are sitting next to your mom. So that's how my mom met your parents'?? Through my uncle Baby (Abeson) and my aunt Valsa??
Betsy's on my Facebook actually. Did you know that?
Posted by: stacy | 2008.01.05 at 08:18 PM
Your mom is so pretty!
Posted by: tamasha | 2008.01.06 at 12:34 PM