My Birthday Prayer

a few minutes before my birthday ends..

Dear God,

i know that saying a bajillion "thank you's" isn't enough to to cover all the blessings you have showered upon me. But i'm still going to say it: thank you.

weeks before my birthday, i was under the impression that the older you get, the less exciting birthdays become. now that i'm a little bit older and supposedly wiser, birthdays have been about dinner and coffee (with the occasional alcoholic drink, of course).

before my birthday, i realized that i am now comfortable with this new style of celebrating birthdays with my friends. i was content with not having the extravagant parties, receiving gifts and all that hullabaloo. all i wanted was to be in the company of my family and good friends. i wanted to see them happy.

today, i got all of that and more. this morning 'til now, i was greeted by all sorts of people, though majority of them were through facebook and twitter. i didn't care. their greetings felt extremely genuine and warm. though my birthday is shown on facebook, i still very much appreciated that people actually took a second of their time to visit my page and to place a greeting on my wall. it's the effort that counts because it means that i crossed their minds and they wanted to share good wishes for me, even for just a second.

dinner time came and i met up with my family, relatives and childhood friends (too bad some couldn't come). over pizza, pasta and chicken, we laughed and talked, something that we often do (eat and talk) but this time it was different for me. usually i want to be absorbed in the conversations, but this time around there were moments where i would just observe my friends and family. and when i saw them laughing and having a good time, i felt contentment. this was the only gift i wanted. it was the icing on top of a cake.

Lord, thank you for giving me so many amazing and beautiful people in my life. parents who constantly support me on all my endeavors, who work their hardest in order to provide for us, who love me unconditionally despite all the things i lack. younger brothers who has their own way of expressing their love for me. a close group of friends who are like -- no, who ARE family too, who have been there for me through the good and bad times. acquaintances who have kept in touch, who reach out to create a stronger bond of friendship.

these people play big parts in my life. i pray that you bless them with hope, confidence, enlightenment and strength in whatever they may be going through. and most of all, please bless them with happiness, strength in whatever they may be going through. and most of all, please bless them with happiness, just like the kind of happiness you have given me.

thank you Lord, for an amazing birthday filled with love that is so overwhelming.