Dear Reader,
I would like to first and foremost thank everyone for the birthday wishes I received yesterday. Despite being nonchalant and over the whole excitment of birthdays, it’s still nice to have the world recognize your existence for one day. Much appreciated. (Kind of makes me feel guilty for not writing ‘obligatory’ happy b-day messages for others on FB. But then again, if I say it, I want to mean it, right?)
Many people asked me if I was doing anything special for my birthday, and I replied that I wasn’t. Besides being broke like no other, I just got tired of trying to get people to go out and shell out money for a dinner or cover at some swanky club. Money that could have been better spent on something of more value (in my eyes anyway). So, I was kind of blah about the whole thing and thought that I should start a tradition of doing something good. Like most, I try to do good on a daily basis; but I wanted to do something-out-of-the-ordinary good. Why? Because I feel that since I was given the blessing to be alive for another year, I should do something that shows my appreciation for this thing called life–which many of us sooooo take for granted. Yes I’m broke, yes I’m still living with the folks, and yes things could be better…but then they could be worse.
I also realized just HOW appreciative I am of my parents. Yes they irritate me with their nagging questions about my future plans, their conservative ways of approaching issues, etc–and I’m sure I irritate them all the time.
But they got me a card with some money and a box of chocolates, my traditional birthday gift from them for the last how many years. My mom cleaned the house and bought some fresh flowers to decorate the house with, and cooked a nice Ethiopian dinner for the three of us. I honestly didn’t expect anything more than the card and chocolates, but it was very nice. These were relatively small gestures, but I didn’t take them for granted. They cared. I know I have plenty of friends whose parents don’t go out of their way the way my parents did; and so I am grateful for their efforts. They care…so I consider myself very lucky.
On another note, I have developed what some of my friends call a somewhat irrational phobia of aging (which I still believe is actually normal). Not just aging physically, but mentally, socially, professionally, emotionally….anything “-ally” really. There are many reports on this–on “us,” by which I mean the so-called “Millennial” generation. They say we were pampered, told that we were special all along, that we’re dangerously ambitious, the most technologically-able, the most studied generation, most accomplished, most pressured, unable to cope with rejection, and so forth–which is true. All of it. There’s just too much going on today. Everyone’s getting multiple degrees, multiple jobs, wired to every piece of technology, trying to save the world… I guess what I’m trying to say is that perhaps we should slow down sometimes. Society is transforming and becoming so fast-paced that we don’t enjoy the things we used to. Anyway, I’m rambling now, so, to end my point..
…enjoy life while your living it today–don’t waste time planning to enjoy it because tomorrow is never promised.
Sincerely,
Yesterday’s Birthday Girl
