I always look forward to birthdays because I get perks and exhaustively get pampered for a day with nice stuffs and gratifying messages making my red- letter day all the more heartwarming , meaningful and special as well. Definitely, these are signs of my family’s and friends’ joy that I am part of their lives.
Yes, I just turned 57 last August 09 and together with my beloved husband and children quietly celebrated life as an opportunity to thank God for being alive and in the pink of health. And I want to thank everyone – family, relatives, friends, schoolmates, colleagues in the medical field, Couples for Christ and Gawad Kalinga brethren and APO/KAPPA brothers and sisters who have conveyed kind and generous wishes and messages through emails, FB, phone calls sent gifts and whatever for my birthday .
So, I have reached another milestone. I‘m excited as I move into a new threshold of my temporal existence. Allow me to share some of my personal insights about "getting older and wiser " :
Birthdays keep me childlike - a cause for a celebration and gratitude.These remind me that what is important is not what I do or accomplish, not what I have or who I know, but that I am , here and now.
I’m thankful that God has given me the best gift anyone can hope for : my precious family and friends who see beyond my imperfections and wish only the best for me.
I’m thankful for all the people around me who encourage my merits as well as accept me for what I am even if I failed to acknowledge their goodness and kindness .Thank you all for all the good times.
I’m thankful for my faults and shortcomings . These have enriched me and taught me how to strive harder.
I’m thankful for my trials and tribulations that could be very daunting yet challenging. Throughout my life I've done my share to endure the life-changing personal difficulties that left me breathless.
I’m thankful God allowed me to go through tremendously difficult times. I tried to go with the flow and believed that every cloud has a silver lining . I have done my best to be patient and persevering. It's during these times that I grow and mature. Life is half spent before we know what it is and who we are.
I‘m thankful for the wisdom God has granted me - to be able to fathom that abundance is not what we gather but what we scatter ; not what we keep but what we give away; not what we hold but what we share.Life has its seasons and seasons change. I learned to trust God that He will make all things work out eventually for my good. It’s just a matter of time.
I’m thankful for my family ( immediate and extended as well) for their staunch support and understanding whenever I failed to demonstrate how much I love and appreciate them for touching my life and being a segment of their lives, too.
I’m thankful I don’t have everything I desire because if I did what would there be to look forward to?. Life is a long lesson in humility.
I'm thankful for all for all the birthday messages and greetings sent by everyone, from everywhere. The gestures have touched me incredibly - the thoughtfulness knows no bounds and my appreciation is ever growing.
My 57 years of earthly life may not be a bed of roses. But one thing for sure, I have much more than I need to be contented and fulfilled ; to have risen beyond the contradictions of life .
To reiterate, I'm grateful for the gift of life. And I can proudly say, I’m fortunate and blessed .
And "I'm not getting old... just getting wiser!"
