Dad turned 68 today, and the celebration was perfectly simple. My parents drove down from Jaipur earlier in the day, making their usual three-hour journey. We decided to go out for dinner at Sambhar Ritual, a South Indian restaurant in Gurgaon that gets the balance right between authentic food and comfortable dining. Dad approached the meal with his typical methodical care, working through dosas and sambhar with the same attention he brings to everything else.
The restaurant had that weekend dinner energy - busy but relaxed, with people actually enjoying their food rather than rushing through it. We talked about the usual things: family updates, work, the differences between living in Jaipur and Delhi. Dad has this way of asking questions that seem casual but show he's genuinely interested in how things work. The meal moved at its own pace, each dish arriving when it should and giving us new things to discuss.
Back home, we cut the birthday cake - nothing fancy, just a fruit cake ordered by my brother and sister in law. There's something about birthday candles that works at any age. Watching Dad blow out his candles reminded me why certain traditions stick around: they create a moment of pause in regular life. We sat around the table sharing cake and continuing our conversation from dinner.
The whole day felt right because it wasn't trying to be anything more than it was. Dad has never been one for elaborate celebrations. He prefers real connection over ceremony. This birthday captured that perfectly: good food, easy conversation, and time spent together without any pressure to make it special. The fact that it ended up being memorable anyway proves something about the best celebrations. Sometimes the most meaningful celebrations are the ones that don't feel like performances.