26th Birthday

This is my best birthday in my 26 years of celebrating birthdays and I would like to document it when all memories still vividly flood me.

January 8th around 12:00 nn Lene and I bought the the ingredients that I will use to make carbonara. I've let the team know that I am preparing one for them. I got home at around 2:00 PM and I already started to prepare the ingredients. I finished cooking everything at around 6:00 PM. I took a much needed sleep and my Mom woke me up at around 9:30 PM. I rushed through my rituals and brought the food I've prepared for them.

I know I am supposed to be tired but felt like a feather. With a very light mood I hailed a cab to work. As I am nearing the office, I sent an SMS to one of my agents to help me with the things I am carrying. As we wait for the elevator, we saw Mar and requested him to bring the food to the pantry so that we could buy soft drinks. As we are heading back, I told him that I somehow felt jealous of my brother because of all 3 of us he is the only one who actually had a birthday party - cake, balloons, and all - when we were still kids. I do not know why I said that but I did. As we are approaching our bay, I felt elated - there are balloons on our stations. It was a pleasant surprise. I told them that it was the fist birthday I had that I had balloons.

At the strike of midnight, my agents and I headed to the pantry. I wanted to cry when I saw the cake. Finally, I had my party on my 26th birthday! We sang the birthday song, and ate our fill.

My reps went back to their stations and I asked my manager and my colleagues to share with the food prepared. We were in the middle of eating and telling stories when one by one my agents came to the pantry each with a stem of rose for me. It was absolutely euphoric!

I thought that was it but I was proven wrong. They've really thought out this day. They asked me to pop each of the balloon because there are individual messages inside the balloons. I was touched. The messages that the agents had were all heart-felt and I appreciated each of them. I wanted to cry but I was so happy that I just cannot shed a single tear.

I felt so loved today. I felt appreciated in ways I cannot even imagine. I felt that I somehow did something right along the way. I told them that we stopped being office mates, I stopped being their boss and them my agents because that moment affirmed what already existed a long way back - they've been my friends. Each one of them are special to me, treasured children whom I love dearly.

I will end my blog here for now as I am cherishing my moment - the happiest birthday I had in 26 years.