Thank You! (lunch break)

On that very day
Even dark clouds smile at her,
Pour down its blessings—

—

Birthday celebration! Calls with and messages from family, friends, colleagues and others from 00:00 until this afternoon which mostly made short because I am at work — now I know why some people take a leave on their birthday. A cake for myself today — not as good as last year’s but still good. Gifts sent by partners in crime. A dinner treat from two friends this Sat in my favourite restaurant. A dinner treat from a colleague next Mon in a Japanese restaurant (a special gift as I cancelled a 2-week Japan trip). And some others that make me humbly feel so blessed and honoured simply to be me. With the flowing attention and appreciation from those around me like this, a party is irrelevant.

The last birthday “party” of mine was in senior high school when birthday was celebrated in the classroom with classmates the way the class wanted it to be. I was lucky that one classmate was born on the same date with mine so we both shared the torture, shame and delight every year — he got worse treatment as a boy though, I was saved by him in those silly years. God bless those innocent days.

Now a birthday is more about reminder that another full year was officially spent breathing. Aaah! What a blessing!

What’s next?

Continue breathing and feeling good no matter what. I won’t let dementors suck my happiness and joy out just because they think they are capable of doing so either for sports or with higher purpose. God bless you all dementors. 😘

Happy birthday to myself and those born on the same date. Be graced with blessings as huge as the sacred mountains around us. Be protected by thousands of wings of the angels! 😘

And always thanks to my parents for delivering me to the world. You are blessed by what you’ve done for me and for what I’ve been becoming as a human being (not about career because there are many more brilliant people in this good company). I love you, Bapak, Ibu. 😘

Alfatihah 💝