Happy Birthday, Mum

Today marks what would have been my mum’s 63rd birthday. Perhaps it still is her 63rd birthday? Like, currently alive or not, it’s still been 63 years since her birth…

She died aged 57 and each year I have marked her birthday in some way. Last year I created a Spotify playlist for her, containing some of her favourite songs (Nancy Boy by Placebo, Radiohead's Creep, and so on). For her 60th, I bought and named a star after her, through the Universal Star Registry.

This year, in the days leading up to her birthday, I found myself in Scotland for work and pleasure. Good timing really, since our family name is Gunn and our ancestral roots are grounded in Scotland. Add to that the fact we took a trip up here together in 2007, and you’ve yourself got a recipe for a right royal birthday-marking.

I spent my afternoon of annual leave walking up (ahem, scrambling… ‘Main Path’ my a$$) to the summit known as Arthur’s Seat – the remains of a 350 million year old volcano. As the darkness drew in on my descent, there were less and less people around, and so I spoke aloud to Mum.

I wished her a happy birthday, dedicated my muddy escapade to her and, upon reaching the bottom, bought a postcard bearing a photo of thistle. She loved thistle, bless her. I then wrote to her and on my return to England buried it in her woodland burial plot. A bit like a message in a bottle I guess – write it, bury it, send it into the atmosphere.

I think it’s important to continue to mark special occasions like this. I don’t know with any real certainty what happens to us after we die, but on the off-chance we retain an awareness of what's occurring here on Earth, personally I rest easier knowing I’ve commemorated her birthday.

I’d love to hear what other people do to mark their passed parents’ birthdays. Leave a comment below and let’s gather ideas.