Another Year Older

The past two years, I noticed that the days coming up to my birthday were the hardest to deal with - the stress from work heightened up with the weeks of overtime we had to render just to meet our deadlines, I became more emotional, ticked off by even the simplest of things that didn't work my way and my plans for the day itself didn't materialize for petty little reasons. I cried, yes I did, last year and now on my 34th. I just had to let it all out and rid myself of all the negativity that I was feeling.

Today, looking back on the past year, I realized that, like everybody else, my life isn't perfect but I have so much, so much to be thankful for.

Johan is a happy, healthy and active toddler. I taught him good manners which he never forgets to put to use - saying thank you and excuse me and sorry. He never holds grudges even if I scold him for making a mess or for being too loud or for being just a kid. He is a loving kid constantly giving us hugs, kisses and a million i love yous on a daily basis.

I married a good man. He is a great provider who puts our needs first ahead of his own. He is a supportive husband who listens to my rants and reacts as he is expected. He is a great father dedicating as much time as he can to spend with Johan. And in this day and age where some men are so easily tempted by younger, prettier and sexier women, I am just grateful that my husband has two qualities that these men lack - honesty and faithfulness.

I have a supportive family in the form of my parents, my siblings, my relatives and my in-laws. They're always there willing to lend a helping hand, to bring the fun in every family event, to give Johan the strong family foundation that I am aiming for and to remind me that real happiness cannot be bought by money.

I don't have a lot but I got real friends. From highschool through college though all the companies I worked for and working for now, I found friends for life. My friends from work keep me sane amidst the craziness of life, they're a good source of laughter (and office chismis) and they give good advice (though mostly is about sex).  My old friends from way, way back remained the same, though we don't see each other as often as we wanted to, I know that our friendship will stay intact through the years.

Other things that I am thankful for are the basics but necessary - we have roof on our heads, food on the table, clothes to keep us warm and wi-fi to keep me from getting crazy. Besides, without wi-fi, how will I be able to see all the birthday greetings on my Facebook timeline!

Thank you everybody! Cheers to more years of friendship and happy memories!