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| Age is just a number :) |
Save for the traditional advanced surprise that was given to me by my officemates in the firm, I was able to get the kind of celebration that I wanted -- a birthday minus the festive (read: noisy) stuff. When these folks showed up with their "pasabog" on All Soul's Day, I was seriously wanting to tell them to keep quiet (kasi nga Undas pa --at least in my calendar hahaha!). But I didn't want to be a killjoy and spoil their fun and effort so I decided to let them be. Though I guess it's among the realities one gets as they grow old. You tend to prefer simplicity and solemnity even in celebrating your own birthday.
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| Tropang Trenta (except for Jim and Eloi!) |
On the day itself, I just went to church to hear Mass. The good thing about my birthday falling on a first Sunday of the month was that I got to be blessed and prayed for by the presiding priest and be serenaded with the Happy Birthday song by the church choir. Compared to the previous celebrations, I must say that this year was a bit ordinary, odd and different-- because I found myself sending a message of condolence to someone whose ex-wife died the night before in an unexpected manner while attending to a commitment overseas. Honestly, the words ordinary, odd and different aren't even sufficient to describe how I felt as I typed and sent the said message of sympathy.
I decided to go on vacation leave after my birthday. Next to wanting a quiet celebration, I did so just to catch up on rest and sleep and just basically take a breather and free my mind away from anything work-related. I may not be vocal about it, but I'd admit now that the past few months (and weeks leading to my birthday) has been stressful. I just wanted to hopefully de-compress my mind and body (to which the stress and strain of everything has been taking its toil lately). So I took the opportunity to some get some RnR even for just two days.
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| Yes to fangirling while on vacation! |
Next to getting rest, long hours for sleep, and quietly celebrating, I spent the two days held and curled up in my bedroom reading. Like what I said in my previous post, I wanted time to immerse in books that are not too hardcore to the brain and it was such a welcoming respite. Books that are for "light reading" seriously left me refreshed after I reached and finished the last page. Oh, and I also got the book in my wishlist so I was really satisfied.
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| Literal na may pa-cake si mayor! |
And just when I thought I had enough of the whole "birthday shenanigans", I came home yesterday to a treat from our mayor. While I am not really used to these kinds of surprises, the fact that the special day was remembered is much appreciated (at oo, hindi lang biruan sa hometown ko yung usual na linyahang "may pa-cake si mayor!" Totoo sa lugar namin yun hahaha!)
Looking at it, I left being 32 having achieved a number of things, and that's good. Now at 33, I can't help but think, that age is seven years into reaching 40. Yes, it's still a long way to go, however, the thoughts like what lies ahead and the question whether I would still be alive (and blogging) by then have already entered my mind.
But those are something to wait and see. For now, what's for me to do is just in these two words: Carpe diem!
