Single... But Not Alone

As my 27th birthday looms nearer I suddenly caught the most dreadful birthday blues. You see, when I was a kid I looked forward to my birthday every year because I was sure that my mom would always throw me a party. You know that feeling you had when you were a kid and tomorrow is the school field trip and you just can't sleep because of excitement? Well, that's how excited I used to be whenever my birthday was coming up.

But, when I reached my 20's that "birthday excitement" started to fade away every year as some boy would trample all over my heart leaving me heartbroken on two of my favorite times of the year-- Christmas and My Birthday. Actually, I celebrated my last two birthdays with whoever I was dating at that time but it doesn't count because I wasn't really in love with them so it wasn't that special. And I think my last birthday was the worst because I even went on a vacation to celebrate my birthday week with my rebound guy. The whole time we were together I was secretly hoping that this other guy I'm still in love with would remember to greet me on my special day! Sadly, he didn't. And then three weeks after I heard from him but this rebound dude was already my boyfriend. But, that's another story.

So here I am again about to celebrate another birthday...single.

As the years added on so did my circle of friends. So by the time I was in my early 20's I would usually celebrate my birthday at least 3 times. One with my family, then the other with my high school friends, then with my college friends, then with people from work plus friends I've met in church or whatever class/course I enrolled in after I graduated from college. This year was no different. I celebrated my birthday 3 times and was given the sweetest surprise!

My first birthday dinner was spent with my high school friends and twin sister/cousin a week in advance. Two of them came home for the holidays from abroad so it was a really great birthday gift because at least this year I'm not celebrating it with the only other high school friend left here in the Philippines.

Then on my birthday I received another surprise! My cousin-in-law heard me saying on Christmas that I'm not looking forward to my birthday because it makes me sad. So she prepared a birthday lunch for me complete with a birthday cake, flowers and a "Happy Birthday" banner! She says that everyone should be happiest on their bithday in spite of all the things making you unhappy.

To add more to my birthday surprises my cousin whom I haven't seen for a year came to visit from Australia. I cried when I saw her because she said she couldn't get home in time for my birthday! I also received birthday cards and gifts from my relatives in Australia.

But wait! There's more! I had a birthday dinner prepared by my mom with relatives from my dad's side with my twin sister/cousin again and my Michellaneous staff. I had not one, not two, but three birthday cakes!

And that's when I realized that even though I'm not celebrating my birthday yet again with someone very special I get to celebrate it with not one, not two, but more than my fingers can count family and friends who love me so much that they stuck with me through all these years in spite of my shenanigans, jadedness, bitterness, craziness, goofiness, emabarassing dance/karaoke moves, so many failed relationships they lost tract, kaartehan and ka-dramahan.

Being surrounded by loved ones and receiving so many birthday greetings my phone didn't stop beeping and ringing that day showed me how God demonstrates His everlasting love for us through people He puts in our lives. I got cured from my birthday blues, it didn't matter anymore if any of those jerks remembered to at least greet me or if some dude made that day special for me by leaving balloons outside my front door or going on an unplanned road trip or giving me a free trip to Boracay because they're not the only source of happiness in the world. I can't deny the fact that there is a longing in my heart to have someone on my special day but I know that I will have more birthdays to celebrate it with the one man I'm meant to celebrate all my birthdays with. I know he's out there, probably learning how to bake a birthday cake or he'll probably come out of a giant birthday cake with just a bow tie on...who knows?!

So I may have yet again celebrated another birthday single...

Single... but not alone.