birthday post

days before my 6th birthday, my parents invited all my kindergarten classmates to my party. i was excited but had one request: no birthday cake. yeah, i told papa not to buy me a cake 'coz i didn't want to blow the candle. i am not sure what i was thinking that time but maybe, being a shy girl (yes, shy ako noon...shock kayo noh?! LOLz), i must have been scared of standing in the middle of a party crowd in front of a cake with all eyes focused on me while i blow that damn candle. stage fright? maybe.

but what's a party without a cake? and what kind of parents would throw a party for their princess but not buy a cake? on my big day, when everyone has gathered around me to sing happy birthday, papa surprised me with a hello kitty cake. and so i cried. really hard. shamelessly. in front of my classmates and family friends. i was like "waaaaahhhh!...sinabi ko na ayaw ko ng cake eh!"
see this photo? that's me in the middle (crying), my brother in blue shirt beside me, mama wearing brown blouse behind me and papa (smiling) who was signaling the photographer to take another shot. papa blew the candle for me.

the years that followed were not as memorable. my birthday usually fell on the week of school's third-grading period exams. in college, october was the busiest month. either i was preparing for the final exams or working on a paper or project.

debut party? cotillon? i never had those. i wouldn't enjoy them anyway. gastos lang...and again that would mean being the center of everyone's attention which i hate. for my 18th birthday, my parents gave me a gold necklace with a heart pendant. they also gave me a gold ring...i think that was for another birthday.

after college, birthdays were spent partying and eating out with friends. but they had to wait after october 3. on the exact date of my birthday, i had to be with my family.

my most memorable birthdays? dinner at Jollibee SM North Edsa with college friend Ivy for my 17th birthday, in 1997 when i lost my wallet and birthday cash to a pickpocket on the way to my boyfriend's house whose family i planned to treat for dinner (they threw a surprise party for me instead), that trip to singapore in 2005, introducing a boyfriend to my family in 2003 to silence all relatives who've been asking me the big question: "when will i ever get married?!" and of course, introducing Fil to my family in 2006. He nailed it! everyone loved him...day after that we escaped to puerto galera to celebrate.

last year we had a birthday cum despedida party. this year, mama and papa sent me a card and i have the two "men" in my life to celebrate it with.
they say that 34 is the new 24. what's the point of saying this? will it make me feel better or younger? ahhhh 24! of course i know how it feels to be 24. i had my time. been there, done that. such a dangerous age...trial-and-error stage, experimentation, taking everything that comes. life was an adventure then. i made some mistakes. i learned a lot. i remember when i was 24, i had so many dreams, plans, questions. it was a time of uncertainties, i didn't know then what was going to happen or would become of me: will i ever find the 'right' man? get married? have a stable career? travel? have kids?

so if you ask me, i'd rather be 34. at this age i have already reached some of my dreams, put to action most of my plans and found answers to many of my questions. while i still keep on dreaming, planning and questioning, the difference is that at 34, most of my major life issues have already been resolved and i am only left to deal with the minor day-to-day ones. i now live a more peaceful and purposeful life.

when i was 24 i asked God for one thing and i have been bugging Him about it, to the point of being makulit, every single night of the past 10 years. I got His answer recently and that, for me, is the best gift for my 34th birthday!

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