The Semi-Birthday Post

I will do an actual birthday post on the weekend, I hope, after a little family gathering plus pasyal in San Francisco.

Anyway, this by far is the year that I’ve received the most greetings. They started pouring in last Monday and then the flood began yesterday, already the 23^rd in the Philippines, Australia and other parts of the world. I guess that’s what you get when you are celebrated in different timezones. LOL. Seriously, though, I really appreciate it and I feel so blessed.

I started the day with the usual Skype conversation with Um and Little HRH, with Little HRH belting at the top of her lungs the most beautiful Happy Birthday rendition that I have ever heard. Um brought home a cake with a candle that Little HRH blew for me, wishing…well, you all know what she was wishing for. But for the sake of preventing udlot, I will not mention it.

I spent an hour or so in bed after our video call thinking about how fast the year went by. It seems so surreal. And just like that, things are now so different from what it was. I’m in a new place and, with the exception of the family I have here, there is nothing else I recognize. I’ve lived here before for almost two years, but even this city’s 2004 version is a lot different from what it is today.

I realized, though, that I do this every year. Think of the year that was, have some sort of self-inflicted panic attack, and think of what lies ahead, of goals that I failed to accomplish at [insert age here] and figure out away to achieve them this year. The clock is ticking. The world does not wait forever.

This wait for Um and Little HRH to get here is killing me. It has paused all plans for the future. Everything is stalled. Life is stalled…indefinitely and it’s so frustrating. Yet, every now and then, though, I remember this sermon at church. The priest said, just as there are divine interventions, there are also divine INTERRUPTIONS. The stops in your life are all part of an intelligent design. I trust that this is what it’s all about. Still, I don’t think these so-called stops are designed for us to become complacent. Quoting what today’s inspirational email said, we can’t ask God to guide our footsteps if we are not willing to move our feet.

Oh, wow! I didn’t mean to be a downer. I’m actually not being one. I was just sharing my some of the things I pondered on today.

The rest of the day was spent with my Captain Awesome and Mommy. We watched Toy Story 3, went to church for a quick prayer and then had the traditional pansit and lumpia birthday dinner.

photo credit: The World at Our Feet

photo credit: Wikipedia

Again, thank you to all those who remembered. I am beyond moved.

P.S.

I’m a week late from the opening weekend, but if you haven’t seen Toy Story 3 yet, go watch it! It made me teary-eyed. What a great trilogy ender!!! I loved it and I want to see it again.

P.P.S.

Captain Awesome and I also did mental notes on the movies we’re going to watch in the future during the previews. We’re very excited to see Gulliver’s Travels. Jack Black is the main cast! Interesting, interesting!