A cancer diagnosis and other health woes hit me just before my birthday. I celebrated anyway

Bad news doesn’t wait for the right time. Why should joy?

The writer’s husband presented a montage of photographs tracing her life during her birthday party.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF PUJA DADA

Published Sep 05, 2026, 06:00 PM

Updated Sep 05, 2026, 06:00 PM

I have never been one to go overboard when celebrating a birthday. I usually keep it small, with my husband and two children. But in 2026, my Big Five O loomed. It wasn’t just a milestone I wanted to mark. I wanted to celebrate the people around me.

My husband had been diagnosed with kidney failure the year before and is undergoing dialysis. It was a reminder of our mortality and made me realise that none of us knows how many opportunities we will have to gather the people we love in one room.

坏消息不会等待合适的时机，快乐又何必如此呢？

在作家的生日聚会上，她的丈夫播放了一组照片蒙太奇，回顾了她的一生。

照片：由普贾·达达提供

发布于2026年9月5日下午6:00

更新于2026年9月5日下午6:00

我从来不喜欢大张旗鼓地庆祝生日。通常我只会和丈夫、两个孩子简单聚聚。但2026年，我的五十岁生日就要到了。我不仅想纪念这个里程碑，更想和身边的人一起庆祝。

我丈夫前一年被诊断出肾衰竭，目前正在接受透析治疗。这件事让我意识到生命的短暂，也让我明白，我们谁也不知道自己还有多少机会能和所爱的人聚在一起。