Anxiety comes in so many forms it seems.
Some people get nervous over exams or public speaking.
But then there are some people who get nervous about dates.
For example, Jen is aware that her friend Heather’s birthday is tomorrow, but because Jen fears that Heather expects more (i.e. a gift, a phone call) she will do nothing.
Here’s my question:
How do these people manage to celebrate their significant other’s birthdays or anniversaries, when they can’t even acknowledge yours?
Jen and Heather aren’t romantically-involved. If Jen doesn’t stress over an important date (an anniversary with her boyfriend/girlfriend) why does she stress about Heather’s? Seriously, Jen needs to calm down.
It doesn’t matter if you live next door or a hundred miles from your friend, because there is this great application that keeps us all connected. It’s called Facebook.
Fuckin’ use it.
What’s even better about Facebook is, you personally don’t have to remember your friend’s birthday; Facebook will remind you well in advance!
I’ve noticed that the most anxious people just cannot say the simplest things like: “Congratulations” or “Happy Birthday!”
Oh wow…one, two words at the most.
Now back to Jen.
Let’s say Heather puts up a status about how it’s her and her boyfriend’s tenth anniversary. In a usual situation, Jen would do nothing. But guess what? All she needs to do and is expected to do is hit one button. That button is called “Like.” When Heather sees that Jen has “liked” her status about her anniversary, it’ll make her so happy.
Let’s be honest here. When you post a certain status or picture, you have a few friends in mind that you hope will acknowledge, like or comment. That’s what we have become accustomed to. We are so obsessed with how we are viewed online that if a certain friend doesn’t acknowledge our post, it kills us.
The simplest “like” could make your day, if you receive it from that certain someone (friend, crush, significant other).
Depending on your location and financial status, do what you can do best to show that you appreciate this person. Try not to outshine the gift your friend gave you for your last birthday; if you’re going to get them a gift, get them something personal and be sure to include a card. Seeing that handwritten, “Happy Birthday!” means a lot more than you think.
Even if your friend got you an awesome gift last year and you aren’t able to afford them one, at the end of the day, all your friend wants is a two worded wall post or text: “Happy Birthday.”
Less is more, but doing nothing is beyond disappointing.
– Dahv