Happy Birthday to me!

About a week before my birthday every year I go into ‘reflection-mode’. I start considering the probability of my parents meeting, of that turning into a long-term relationship and the chances of that lasting long enough to result in offspring. I mean, look at the luck I’m having here – and I’m not even a ginger like my dad.

Then I start thinking about the fact that I’m the result of the fusion of one particular egg with one particular sperm.

Then I start thinking about the supremely unlikely and utterly undeniable chain of events that led up to my existence. All of my ancestors lived to reproductive age - going all the way back to Adam and Eve… (working in some theology there).

When I start thinking about the probability of all of my ancestors meeting and all of their sperm-meets-egg odds. Think about this, if even once the wrong sperm met the wrong egg, I would not be sitting here. In fact, some scientists estimate the probability of your being born at about one in 400 trillion.

One in 400 trillion.

Therefore, I reckon birthdays are definitely a day worth celebrating. You were the size of a watermelon (well, I was at 3.36kg) and you made your way out of an opening the size of an orange and you arrived into the world. At that very moment you changed the entire world, because you altered the dynamic of your family and your community and your city and your country and our world. That makes you pretty significant, as far as I’m concerned.

I entered the world on Monday, the 15^th of June 1987 at 15:10 afternoon which will make me 26 tomorrow.

 

On my very first birthday

I am definitely not on the verge of a quarter-life crisis and I’m still 4 years away from…30. Oh Lord.

Sure, in comparison to the 19 year olds on campus, I could be seen as ‘old’. Will turning 26 mean that I officially fall into the category of cougar? Is it creepy if I think some 19 year olds are hot? 

I can’t hear the tick, tick, tick of my biological clock…yet. Though my mother has reminded me that she had me at the age of 26 and my dad stares longingly at me when he sees my cousin’s kids, I am still very much happy about the fact that I am not even contemplating the thought of whether I need to freeze my eggs or not.

Speaking about parents.

Happy Anniversary of becoming my parents, parents. Thank you for bringing me into this world, for loving me unconditionally, for instilling amazing values, for believing in me even when I didn't always believe in myself. Thank you for raising me to be who I am today, thank you for everything you’ve done for me, for being my inspiration and motivation to do what I want to do with my life. Thank you for putting me in check all those times I messed up. Even though it's my birthday tomorrow, it's you, Mom and Dad, who deserve the good wishes. I love you.

Do you have any idea how much brownie points I just earned? Ha!

To me birthdays aren't just about growing older – I’ve also grown wiser over the last year.

The biggest lesson that I’ve learnt as a 25 year old is to appreciate the intelligent, fascinating, accomplished and fabulous women in my life. There’s something extraordinarily special when you can add a new roster of people to your incredible friend list. I’ve realized that life is all about meaningful connections. And knowing this allows me to keep “quality over quantity” in mind and put time and effort into those who matter, forging strong bonds with just a few people rather than many. To all my amazing friends, I thank you and I salute you – you have made this past year, the best year.

Thank you Lord for sparing me for another year as I am reminded of James 1:17 -

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

I think I love birthdays this much because just as the initial birthday marks the beginning of a new life, each birthday is a new beginning. The coming year holds untold possibilities and potential waiting to be reached. I want to live this one life of mine - really, really live it - and at the end of my journey I want to look back down the road and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that I truly did.

I can’t wait until tomorrow. I’m about to celebrate life and all the wonderful blessings it has given to me. 

But now I’m in desperate need of some beauty sleep before tomorrow.

What can I say, I must be getting old. Ha!