I believe that the days right before and after a birthday should contain surreal moments in which we say, "Did that just happen? What the heck was that?" Not in a bad way - not tragedy - just something we didn't expect, have few previous experiences to which we can compare it, and which make us wonder what it means for the coming year. It's life's gift to us, something to give us pause and inspire us to think about life in a slightly different way. Because this year will be different. It always is.
