1.8 To Birthday or Not To Birthday

Hosts:

🎤 Marc A. Pitman, CSP – Speaker, coach, and visionary wall demolisher
🎤 Emily Pitman – Systems and spaces designer, master planner

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Episode Summary

In this episode of Still Figuring It Out, Marc and Emily Pitman reflect on life, marriage, and the evolving ways they celebrate birthdays (or, in this case, not celebrate them). They dive into the pressures around gift-giving, family expectations, and the freedom that comes from rethinking traditions. From birthday pies to self-care, the couple explores what it means to be intentional about celebrations while staying true to their values.

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Timestamps & Key Topics

⏱ [00:00:03] - Welcome!
Emily kicks off the episode with a lighthearted question: Does the weekend start now, or in six hours?

⏱ [00:00:26] - Who We Are
Marc and Emily introduce themselves as life partners, business partners, and co-hosts who are still figuring things out.

⏱ [00:01:59] - The Math of Marriage
Reflecting on their nearly 29-year marriage, they joke about how counting years (or months) changes as you get older.

⏱ [00:02:46] - Living from Strengths
The couple discusses their shared mission: helping others embrace their strengths and gifts.

⏱ [00:03:02] - “We Didn’t Have Birthdays This Year”
Marc and Emily talk about skipping traditional birthday celebrations and opting for something different—a September celebration instead of their usual January and February birthdays.

⏱ [00:04:02] - Why Change the Tradition?
Marc explains that his birthday, falling so close to Christmas, has always been a challenge for gift-giving. Emily shares how their kids are now financially independent, making gifts more of a financial stress than a necessity.

⏱ [00:06:04] - The Kindness of Letting Go of Expectations
They discuss how choosing to forgo gifts and big celebrations was not just about them but also a way to relieve family members of unnecessary pressure.

⏱ [00:08:32] - Birthday Pies & Small Traditions
Instead of a big party, Marc enjoyed a homemade chocolate bourbon pecan pie, while Emily had a French silk chocolate pie with pretzel crust