Anyone who knows me well knows my affinity for pecan pie. Long ago, I ditched the traditional birthday cake in favor of the delectable nut-topped treat. The combination of thick corn syrup and quality whole pecans assembled neatly in a pie crust is the sole reason I still look forward to getting older each year (seriously, though, I can rent a car, I’m done with milestones).

I never liked cake. When I went to birthday parties as a kid, cake was always the part I dreaded. At bake sales, I’d always go for cookies or brownies. It only grew worse over time. Sometimes I try to trick myself into thinking that the chocolate cake on a dessert menu will satisfy. The giant confection Bruce Bogtrotter puts down in Matilda looks amazing. It has to be rich and chocolatey and delicious, right? No, it always disappoints.

Plenty of people enjoy cake and I’m sure one or two weirdos out there may even hate pecan pie. But to anyone lukewarm on it, or those who share my disdain, why do you keep reviving a tired tradition every year? Your parents probably arranged candles on your first birthday cake as a photo op when you turned 1. Years and years of repetition, during which you had no control over choices beyond vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, conditioned you to believe this is how it’s done. But if you like skittles, stick birthday candles in a bowl full of them. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, blow them out over a plate of mashed potatoes. Traditions are only meaningful if you believe in them wholeheartedly.

Pecan pie is an odd form of rebellion. Admittedly, it’s inclusion at my annual year ticking is no Matilda-esque defiance. But it’s mine and I came to it through skepticism, reason and my own realization that I didn’t have to eat crappy desserts on my own birthday.

Next time you’re confronted with a choice between old traditions and the potentially earthshattering unknown, open your mind to the possibility of change. The world will still revolve if the old guard is torn down. And if, after some soul searching, you still like cake, then eat it proudly. More pie for me.

Happy Pi Day, everyone.

P.S. Anyone looking for a quality pecan pie should try the Goode Company Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie.