![Kim, 31, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
Birthday: November 14
How we met: Kim is engaged to a friend of a friend I met in middle school. She’s my roommate but not for long. I’ll miss you, Kim!
Most memorable birthday: 21. It was a surprise birthday, and I didn’t want it to be a surprise birthday. It was in Kalamazoo [Michigan]. My boyfriend at the time asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, and I was like, “I don’t know. ” We always did a big to-do with the family, with cake and ice cream, which is fun. My mom always made a different cake for everybody. It was a big deal. But this one I was kind of grumpier.
He wasn’t a drinker, too, so turning 21 wasn’t time to go to the bar. I was kind of feeling a little deflated about it, and I didn’t really want to do anything.
Patrick, my boyfriend at the time, was like, “What if we tried to do a get-together? What if your family came?”
I told him: “I don’t want to be around my family. I don’t want them to come. If you’re planning a surprise, I’ll just tell them to turn right back around. That would just be dumb. Don’t do that.”
I was working that day, not a big deal. I was a cake decorator — fun job.
I was born at 12:57 a.m., so I stay up the day before till 12:57. “It’s my birthday, yay!” Then I go to sleep, wake up, it’s still my birthday. That’s kind of my mentality. Kind of a holiday.
I woke up went to work at the bakery making birthday cakes all day for everybody — all around happy. Sometimes I would bring cupcakes or cookies home or something like that.
I got home from work that day like normal. I’m all grimey in my baseball cap. I’ve got my cake-decorator outfit on, and usually it’s full of air-brushing — food coloring everywhere, in my nostrils. Kind of disgusting.
I pull up to the driveway and walk in the front door, and my entire family is in my living room in Kalamazoo. It’s like a three-hour drive for them. I didn’t see it coming, really. It blew my mind. They all did it. They were all right there in the living room. Then I felt like an asshole for not wanting them there.
They brought all this picnic stuff. And I didn’t see any of their cars in the driveway, so that was what really got me. It was a pristine “gotcha.”](http://3.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kozodnfJTS1qa0433o1_500.jpg "Kim, 31, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
Birthday: November 14
How we met: Kim is engaged to a friend of a friend I met in middle school. She’s my roommate but not for long. I’ll miss you, Kim!
Most memorable birthday: 21. It was a surprise birthday, and I didn’t want it to be a surprise birthday. It was in Kalamazoo [Michigan]. My boyfriend at the time asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, and I was like, “I don’t know. ” We always did a big to-do with the family, with cake and ice cream, which is fun. My mom always made a different cake for everybody. It was a big deal. But this one I was kind of grumpier.
He wasn’t a drinker, too, so turning 21 wasn’t time to go to the bar. I was kind of feeling a little deflated about it, and I didn’t really want to do anything.
Patrick, my boyfriend at the time, was like, “What if we tried to do a get-together? What if your family came?”
I told him: “I don’t want to be around my family. I don’t want them to come. If you’re planning a surprise, I’ll just tell them to turn right back around. That would just be dumb. Don’t do that.”
I was working that day, not a big deal. I was a cake decorator — fun job.
I was born at 12:57 a.m., so I stay up the day before till 12:57. “It’s my birthday, yay!” Then I go to sleep, wake up, it’s still my birthday. That’s kind of my mentality. Kind of a holiday.
I woke up went to work at the bakery making birthday cakes all day for everybody — all around happy. Sometimes I would bring cupcakes or cookies home or something like that.
I got home from work that day like normal. I’m all grimey in my baseball cap. I’ve got my cake-decorator outfit on, and usually it’s full of air-brushing — food coloring everywhere, in my nostrils. Kind of disgusting.
I pull up to the driveway and walk in the front door, and my entire family is in my living room in Kalamazoo. It’s like a three-hour drive for them. I didn’t see it coming, really. It blew my mind. They all did it. They were all right there in the living room. Then I felt like an asshole for not wanting them there.
They brought all this picnic stuff. And I didn’t see any of their cars in the driveway, so that was what really got me. It was a pristine “gotcha.”")
Kim, 31, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
Birthday: November 14
How we met: Kim is engaged to a friend of a friend I met in middle school. She’s my roommate but not for long. I’ll miss you, Kim!
Most memorable birthday: 21. It was a surprise birthday, and I didn’t want it to be a surprise birthday. It was in Kalamazoo [Michigan]. My boyfriend at the time asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, and I was like, “I don’t know. ” We always did a big to-do with the family, with cake and ice cream, which is fun. My mom always made a different cake for everybody. It was a big deal. But this one I was kind of grumpier.
He wasn’t a drinker, too, so turning 21 wasn’t time to go to the bar. I was kind of feeling a little deflated about it, and I didn’t really want to do anything.
Patrick, my boyfriend at the time, was like, “What if we tried to do a get-together? What if your family came?”
I told him: “I don’t want to be around my family. I don’t want them to come. If you’re planning a surprise, I’ll just tell them to turn right back around. That would just be dumb. Don’t do that.”
I was working that day, not a big deal. I was a cake decorator — fun job.
I was born at 12:57 a.m., so I stay up the day before till 12:57. “It’s my birthday, yay!” Then I go to sleep, wake up, it’s still my birthday. That’s kind of my mentality. Kind of a holiday.
I woke up went to work at the bakery making birthday cakes all day for everybody — all around happy. Sometimes I would bring cupcakes or cookies home or something like that.
I got home from work that day like normal. I’m all grimey in my baseball cap. I’ve got my cake-decorator outfit on, and usually it’s full of air-brushing — food coloring everywhere, in my nostrils. Kind of disgusting.
I pull up to the driveway and walk in the front door, and my entire family is in my living room in Kalamazoo. It’s like a three-hour drive for them. I didn’t see it coming, really. It blew my mind. They all did it. They were all right there in the living room. Then I felt like an asshole for not wanting them there.
They brought all this picnic stuff. And I didn’t see any of their cars in the driveway, so that was what really got me. It was a pristine “gotcha.”
Uchechi, 31, Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Birthday: Aug. 14
How we me: Uchechi became friends with my friend Jeanette after they met on the subway. Jeanette is married to a college friend I’ve known since middle school.
Most memorable birthday: 23. Eight years ago I had recently graduated from college. Graduating from college was both really exciting and really difficult. Three months before I graduated from college, my younger brother and best friend passed away. I’d expected him to come to my graduation, and it was really devastating for me, and yet it was so exciting because I was graduating.
I had a whole group of friends living in Northern California with me and a group of people that lived in Olympia, Washington, and they decided to throw me the most amazing birthday to celebrate me graduating, especially in the context of a lot of the sadness and also to just really show me they were there for me. To this day, they are still my closest friends.
They brought me out there, and two of my friends put me in a VW van with a sign on it that said, “Honk. It’s my birthday.” They made me a crown that said, “I’m 23. Honk. It’s my birthday,” and they leaned out the window and kept pointing to the sign, insisting that people honk. They got quite a few truckers to honk and blow kisses.
I just felt really special because I needed that. I need that support and community.
Later in the day, they just threw this bash that was incredible. They cooked, and we all sat around a table. They just made me feel really loved, and they each told me why they loved me and why I was important to them.
I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday. It was right on time. It was about 2 1/2 months after I graduated. I think it’s important to know you’re loved, especially in times of crisis. They really pulled out all the stops.
Uchechi is a poet and performer. You can hear her here.
Jen, 30, Forest Hills, Queens
How we met: Jen and I became friends through a friend I worked with at The Baltimore Sun.
Birthday: Feb. 22
Most memorable birthday: 26, when I met my future husband. We were in Astoria, where I lived at the time. It was a Friday night with a bunch of my friends. mostly girlfriends and this guy that I was sort of dating. We went to this pub called Doyle’s Corner on Broadway and 42nd Street, and that was probably like our third stop. I always hate my birthday because something happens or whatever, and I just always feel kind of sad on my birthday.
We got to this place, and I’d never been there before. And for some reason I kind of felt like, “I don’t like what I’m doing. I don’t like this boy that I’m supposedly interested in.” I wanted to do something different. I grabbed my best friend, Lisa, and we went to the bar and ditched the people we were with.
We were talking to this guy who was talking about being in theater, and I hear a voice coming from my right side, and I hear his accent, and I turn to him and I say in the most cheesey American way, “Habla espanol?” And he kind of looks at me like, “ew.”
We started talking, and we started dancing, and I end up giving him my phone number. I immediately thought, “Oh my God, what am I doing? Why am I giving this strange man my phone number?” And we talked about Argentina, where he’s from, and he buys me a beer, and I leave with my friend.
Then he called me a few days later, and now we’re married.
![Nancy, 45, New Jersey
How we met: Nancy was waiting for the bus on 42nd Street at Bryant Park. She missed her bus. I’m sorry, Nancy.
Birthday: I forgot to ask. Nancy, if you’re reading this, e-mail me your birthday!
Most memorable birthday: 25. My mom was still alive. My whole family was still around. I’ve lost a lot of them by now. Twenty-five was my first job, and I had my college degree. Everything was working fine that year. We had a party at home — all the family, all the friends. This was back in my country [Egypt].](http://7.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_koqt1psxgF1qa0433o1_500.jpg "Nancy, 45, New Jersey
How we met: Nancy was waiting for the bus on 42nd Street at Bryant Park. She missed her bus. I’m sorry, Nancy.
Birthday: I forgot to ask. Nancy, if you’re reading this, e-mail me your birthday!
Most memorable birthday: 25. My mom was still alive. My whole family was still around. I’ve lost a lot of them by now. Twenty-five was my first job, and I had my college degree. Everything was working fine that year. We had a party at home — all the family, all the friends. This was back in my country [Egypt].")
Nancy, 45, New Jersey
How we met: Nancy was waiting for the bus on 42nd Street at Bryant Park. She missed her bus. I’m sorry, Nancy.
Birthday: I forgot to ask. Nancy, if you’re reading this, e-mail me your birthday!
Most memorable birthday: 25. My mom was still alive. My whole family was still around. I’ve lost a lot of them by now. Twenty-five was my first job, and I had my college degree. Everything was working fine that year. We had a party at home — all the family, all the friends. This was back in my country [Egypt].
Billy, 55, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
How we met: Billy was sitting outside his apartment as I was walking by.
Birthday: November 20
Most memorable birthday: 55. I always have a private party for my birthday, which is friends and family and enjoy it and respect the day that God let me see that day. I go to church.
My best birthday was last year. I went to Puerto Rico. Me and my girlfriend and my son. We had a good time.
Billy’s an artist, furniture designer and curator.
Conan, 30, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
How we met: I looked at an apartment he’s moving out of.
Birthday: August 1
Most memorable birthday: 30. I never liked birthdays. I was turning 30, so I planned three days of fun. About half of them got canceled because of rain or lack of interest. Friday, July 31 was supposed to be a drum circle in Battery Park. It got canceled because of rain. After that, it was Ethiopian dinner, which didn’t get canceled. It got moved. It was 18 people, including my brother, who came from out of town, and my sisters.
Saturday was a belly-dancing class with all of my friends. Eight people showed up. My brother did it. I loved watching his face. Four of us went to the New York Hall of Science. They have a cloud chamber. So we went there and got astronaut ice cream, which is very rich, it turns out. Then we came back to my apartment, and I made vegan flourless black-bean chocolate cake.
There wasn’t much on Sunday. There was supposed to be foraging in Prospect Park with Wild Man Steve Brill. That was canceled by rain. Next was supposed to be board games at Freddy’s Backroom, but there were no people and no games, so I called that off. So I had coffee with an ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend and dinner with my sister in Manhattan. It was her last night in town.
Seth, 26, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (my neighbor)
Birthday: March 2
Most memorable birthday: 13. My parents bought me an hour in a small plane at the municipal airport. We went up with a flight attendant instructor (geez, I must have “Mad Men” on my mind), and he asked whether we wanted to go toward Indianapolis or the country. When we got near Indianapolis, he let me take the controls. He started diving and my mom was flipping out.
