I don’t normally celebrate my birthday. Mostly because I am too lazy and I get embarrassed when I am the center of attention. This year, in February, I turned 28 years old and I had a really fun birthday… exactly what I needed since I was having such a shitty time starting from December 2011. Again, 2011? Not the best year.
One of my closest friends, Missy, decided she was going to make a birthday event for me this year. It wasn’t anything extravagant – a group of my best of friends attended and even some who I weren’t so close to but we all always had fun just hanging out! A lot of my other friends didn’t make it or just weren’t invited, which is fine. I don’t think it’s a mark of bad friendship when you don’t celebrate your friend’s birthday. To me it’s even more special when friends are together for no reason! Everyone is so busy that it is pretty special to take time out of people’s schedules these days.
The night consisted of dinner, drinks and dancing. We had a lot of laughter and lots of silly, small adventures.
Missy baked me a cake!
I appreciate that even though it was possibly one of my loneliest time in my life, I was surrounded by people nonetheless. I can never take for granted that there are people who wants to celebrate the anniversary of my birth each year. Friendship takes a lot of work — I don’t think it’s ever supposed to be easy to build permanent relationships with other people. I don’t think it’s about trying hard to be likeable. It’s about falling in love with another person (not just romantic love, mind you! I am in love with all my friends in one way or another) and making a connection that you are both willing to protect, no matter the disagreements or fights along the way.
It’s worth it though when you get to that point with another person. I have at least three or four adopted families.
I can tell you right now that I can name all the people who I know, without any doubt, will always be in my life. It’s nice to know no matter how stupid or how many mistakes I make in my life, I’ll have these people willing to sing me a birthday song each year. It’s nice to know I have friends who I can say confidently that I can always trust and rely on. People who will never want to hurt me and never will hurt me. These are the friendships I will protect, no matter what.
Space Pirate Queen 