The bright sun reminds me of how happy the Lord was when He created me.:)

When I was still in gradeschool I always envy my classmates who celebrate their birthday inside the classrom, their parents will come at school with food boxes and tetra pack juice for the whole class then all of us will sing a very loud happy birthday song. I never had that because of course, my birthday falls on summer. Highschool the thing that I envy the most (apparently I don’t know what hit me back then) are people who’s birthday fall on Easter Sunday. YFC and college I always wanted to celebrate my birthday during ILC. I wanna know how it feels that you celebrate your birthday with a crowd you may or may not know.

Last night I was reflecting before my birthday ends and there the Lord showed me the beauty of the season before, during and after my birthday.

If I ever I celebrated my birthday inside the clasroom back in gradeschool, imagine the hassle it would bring to my office-person parents even if you say it’s just once a year, but heck! That’ll be 6 years in a row. Not mentioning how far our house was from my school. If ever I celebrated my birthday during Easter Sunday, people in our house will be tired by then since we participate in Holy Week traditions and Salubong. If ever I celebrated my birthday during ILC people are busy running around everywhere and possible that I’m one of them, I might just end up saying “I feel like it’s not my birthday.”

The Lord told me last night, “See, the things that are happening before your birthday unfold moments that will make it filled of fun, faith, freedom and friendship. Moments that you will never forget and make your day extra, extra special. Moments that when you celebrate, I can just again remind you..this is how priviledged you are to be my daughter.”

Oh yes I am 24 - young, Christian and happy.:) So here, I give you 24 things that happened to me for the past 24 birthdays that I had, which I will never forget. This is in random order.:)

1. When I celebrated my 7th birthday, I was wearing a Filipiniana I wore from my Prep Graduation presentation. “What in the world Eloi?!” Would be your reaction if you see a picture and I will graciously accept that.

2. I joined a summer drama class when I was in the sixth grade, I celebrated my birthday practicing for the recital. They knew it was my birthday after the session. Haha. They were like, “Why didn’t you say so?”

3. The one and only “birthday in class” experience that I had was in 3rd year college for OJT reports. No food boxes and tetra pack, but my mother wanted me to bring some.

4. I was able to celebrate my 11th birthday in Baguio.

5. In connection with number 4, I charged a collect call to my parents who are in Manila to let them greet me. Haha.

6. One childhood friend walked out of my 8th birthday party because I told her she moved her body while playing the ever famous stop dance.

7. I celebrated my 13th birthday together with bunch of friends who are 4 years older than me.

8. My 18th birthday was almost not celebrated since my Lolo died a month before that.

9. The Debut. Bunch of YFC friends surpised me to celebrate it.

10. The 18 roses.

11. The 18 candles.

12. My 18th birthday deserves another number. The people who were there will know why.:D

13. I celebrated my 19th birthday with a 500-peso budget in an ice cream parlor.

14. My 19th birthday, my cousin’s wife gave birth. I gave the child’s second name and became his ninang.

15. My 20th birthday, I was the emcee for that kid’s 1st birthday party.:)

16. 21st birthday, 12mn of April 26 I was in a party of someone else and I’ve been telling everyone that it’s my birthday too but no one wants to believe me. Great. The next day I received a message saying “Whoa! It’s true that it’s also your birthday. Sorry!”

17. The night of my 21st birthday, I spent it in a youth camp while Pedro is giving talk 4.

18. My 22nd birthday was the first time I received a bouquet of flowers. *.* and

19. the first time I received one whole cheesecake of my own. Haha.

20. My 23rd birthday was the first time I spent in an office.

21. The night of my 23rd birthday, I spent it with YFC Metro Manila team inside the shout house.

22. It was the first time for me to celebrate my birthday in a restaurant which the money I paid for was not from my mother.

23. My 24th birthday was the first time I was mistakenly greeted by quite large number of people 3 days before the day itself.

24. Yesterday was the sweetest birthday I had by receiving greetings from different parts of the world.:)

I am happy I was born in a sunny afternoon. It reminds me of how warm the Lord’s love is. I am happy I was born during summer.:) Deep in my heart, yes down deep like the ocean bed of Boracay during helmet dive (naks!) I thank you for making yesterday the sweetest, thank you for your wishes, for the gifts (I still accept!) and specially for the prayers.:) I praise God for wonderful family and friends and because of you I always have reasons to love more, to smile more and to serve more.

God bless you.

Here’s a star.★