And it was a happy birthday......

It was my birthday recently and against all the odds, I had a really wonderful day. Why "against all the odds", you may ask? Well because the truth is that I really wasn't excited about this birthday at all. In fact, I was dreading it. I couldn't think of any reason to get excited because to me it was going to be yet another birthday I would mark as a single person. This time last year, I was as single as ever, and as with every preceding birthday in recent memory, I prayed earnestly that by the next year I would be happily coupled and celebrating my birthday with my significant other. Birthdays have come, birthdays have gone but my status as a single girl/woman has obstinately refused to change. And at this stage, I am beginning to wonder if my prayers in this regard are just a futile exercise. Clearly, I am slightly disillusioned. No wonder then that I was in no mood to celebrate anything.

But as God would have it, I woke up on the morning of this birthday with a totally new perspective on things. All of a sudden, I could see how ungrateful and petulant I was being. God has been good to me - I am alive and well, I have friends & family who love me dearly, I have a nice home and a warm bed to sleep in every night, I have food to eat and clothes on my back, I have a job, a nice car.... the list is endless. How can I be anything but grateful to God? And from that moment, my attitude changed. I dropped on my knees and gave thanks to my heavenly Father for keeping me all these years. I didnt ask Him for anything, I just thanked Him. He has been too good to me & I have been nothing but a spoiled brat, throwing tantrums and sulking because I don't have all the things I want. There is a maxim I heard many years ago and for the most part it has guided and shaped my attitude to life: "when you are tempted to feel bad about all the things that you want that you don't have, spare a thought for all the things that you don't want that you don't have." Ruminate on that for a moment- trust me, it will totally transform your perspective. Suffice it to say that I may not be married yet and I may not have that dream job yet, but there are also a lot of things that I dont want that I dont have - I dont have AIDS, I dont have cancer, I dont have a cheating, lousy husband, I dont have a sick child or relative... Bottom line: the key to enjoying life is in the way you choose to perceive life. Ok, enough preaching. So I had a great birthday! My phone was hot from an endless stream of calls and text messages, my Facebook wall was creaking under the weight of so many wall-posts... lol! I just felt so, so loved... Two of my favourite cousins surprised me by showing up at my office and taking me to lunch at my favourite restaurant. I had not one, but two lovely cakes, and this was quite something considering that I had made no plans to order a cake and I wasnt expecting one from anywhere. After work, I had drinks with some of my dearest friends and family members.

When I finally got into bed that night, I was blissfully exhausted, and in awe of the outpouring of love especially from the least-expected sources. Some of the people that I had hoped or expected to be with me or at least call me on that day didn't come through (chief among them being Mr. Isho-giver, but then again I guess he must live up to his name - lol!!). I guess this is why I always try to keep my expectations low. It may be a cynical way to go through life but at least, I don't set myself up for unnecessary disappointments. And in those instances when people rise above my expectations, I am always pleasantly surprised. Although now that I think about it, there are some people who have somehow managed to fall far short of even my lowest expectations and they have succeeded in shocking the hell out of me!!!!!!!!

All said, it was a wonderful, wonderful day and I hope and pray that this is an indication of the kind of year I'm going to have. Let the journey begin!