A leap year birthday: Turning 13 again!

Every year, in the non-leap years, I’m asked, “So when do you celebrate your birthday?” or “How old are you actually?” The answer to the second question is that I’m actually turning 13 — an official teenager — in leap years (or 52, but that’s not as exciting!).

It’s definitely fun. My 11-year-old nephew, for instance, is waiting for when he gets “older” than me. I recently joined The Honour Society of Leap Year Day Babies, a Facebook group that had its origins offline in the US, founded in 1988 by ‘Leap Day Lady’ Raenell Dawn (who turns 16 in leap years this year). It’s a lively group, with many delighted to come across others who share the same birthdate, with one frequently asked question — “Why are my friends asking if I can celebrate on the weekend, when it’s my actual birthday after four years?” I can relate to the indignation as, this year, any celebrations simply must be on the Thursday that February 29 falls on.

This year, as I turn 13 — again — I also decided to consider how young I really feel. Maturity or immaturity is not really a measure of age, but I would love to go back to a time when it felt like I had all the answers. Lately, all I seem to have are questions. There are some obvious ones, such as pondering over retirement plans, health insurance (not sure when most conversations started quickly veering towards health) and, of course, dreaming of vacation homes by the beach.

There’s also the looming reality of jobs drying up as one, ironically, gains in experience. Frustrating, yes, but also strangely liberating. Maybe we can finally stop pretending that our professional lives rock our worlds. It’s a great opportunity to pivot to doing something we love, but first, we have to discover what that may be.

What did the teen me, or us, dream of doing when we grew up? Read some books, see the world, gain some new experiences. Here’s a chance at a do-over as the world gives us pause. At 40, 50, even 60 or later, I see people who are still prolific and leading active lives, whether it’s educators, lawyers, counsellors, yoga teachers or writers and researchers. A friend is pursuing a law degree in his forties and loving it, while someone else may be toying with the idea of a homestay in the mountains. Fortunately, there is a course to prepare one for everything these days, whether it’s AI or astrology.

However, while the mind roams unfettered, there are still bills to be paid! And while the younger me would be ready to walk out of a job on a matter of principle, my present day version relates more to a character in the movie ‘Good Grief’. To quote, “I stopped liking my job, but I keep working because it pays well. And that makes me feel sick. But not sick enough to quit. Which makes me feel even more sick.”

Did our younger versions have more integrity? While that’s a loaded question to ponder, we were definitely more spontaneous. A WhatsApp status hit home recently, “Don’t ask me if you can call; just call!” So maybe we can start by doing that? Or schedule spontaneity, like do something without planning on Saturday, 11 am or something! Let’s retrace our steps to when we were young and carefree and rewire our brains to when we didn’t overthink and calculate our every move.

As for my leap year birthday, for the first time in four years, I won’t be asked if I want to be wished on February 28 or March 1. A valid question, I realise, as many in the online group consider themselves staunch “Februarians” and celebrate on the 28th, while I prefer to celebrate the day after. For all practical purposes, though, most of us end up celebrating or getting wished on both days!

As for some leap year trivia, during a conversation, Raenell shared that a lady born in 1896 didn’t turn “one” till 1904 when she turned eight as 1900 was not a leap year (not divisible by 4), while a Sri Lankan professor has O’Leap as his middle name. There are Leap Day Babies within families, born across three or more generations. There is also the case of twin “leaplings” where one was born before midnight on the 28th and the other on, you guessed it, 29th! The song 2/29 by Rookie Card is considered a leap year anthem and this year, the band has made a video of “leapers” around the world lip-syncing to the lyrics.

The takeaway, as Raenell remarked is, “It’s a bonus day for everyone.” It’s an extra day…so make it count!

(The writer is a journalist and Mindset Coach. She hosts the podcast Swishing Mindsets and tweets @anuvee.)

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