Every year, April 13th is a chance for me to think back in retrospect on the goals I’ve accomplished and the dreams that I’ve realized in the previous year. Sometimes – (as I’m sure we all do) – I get so caught up in my day-to-day routines, that I forget the importance of taking a step back and looking at my life from an external point of view, to soak everything in. But I’ve found that my birthday is the perfect opportunity to do just that: to pause and acknowledge how far I’ve come, and to look ahead to the fresh possibilities that await me in the coming year.
Today, I reflected on everything that I crossed off my extensive list of goals this past year. And now, as I edge towards the threshold into true adulthood that I’ll soon cross as a college graduate, I’ve anticipated what I expect the future to behold. However, this year in particular, I found that my “birthday introspection,” if you will, has been slightly different from previous years:
When I turned 13, I became a “man” by the standards of the Torah – and the 400+ guests that attended my “intimate” Bar Mitzvah soirée. At 16, I looked forward to driving on the road on my own – even though my parents were probably petrified. At 18, I celebrated my autonomy as an adult, (A.K.A. being able to purchase a lottery ticket – and vote). At 21, well, let’s just say I fully embraced being able to drink legally. And today as I turn 22, the bubbling excitement that was 21 has now fizzled. With a few years left until I reach a quarter of a century, I wonder: so what’s the significance of this birthday, this year?
Today, at age 22 – neither a milestone nor an age of any true, classic significance – I feel refreshed and even liberated as I embrace the simple beauty and value of the present. Today more than ever, I’ve chosen to celebrate the place and time in my life I’m at in this very moment, at this random, “in-between” age.
As I turned a year older (and hopefully wiser) today, I realized that the past is now a fleeting memory that I’ll always cherish but must kiss goodbye, and that this concept called “the future” that I constantly think about is just an unknown fantasy that I must patiently wait to experience. Because today is all we have – and even more importantly, today is the most beautiful thing one can have.
And as I immersed myself in all that was “today,” I allowed the celebration to pleasantly consume me: the birthday cakes, everlasting sparkling candles (that I’m sure are some type of fire hazard), vibrant balloons, and glistening confetti, are all that exist in my memory right now and still sparkle in my sight. The Facebook posts, emails, text messages, and phone calls continue to echo in my mind – and even without any sort of grand milestone to acclaim this year, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Because even with all the gifts, beautifully wrapped with big bows and ribbons, I poignantly learned on my 22nd birthday that the most valuable gift of all is the gift of love. As my friends and family expressed their happiness that I’m a part of their lives and embraced the person that I’ve authentically become, I have never felt more loved and treasured than I did today.
So as my 22nd birthday comes to a close, I want to thank you all for making this year’s celebration my most memorable one yet and for sharing in the journey with me thus far. I feel truly blessed and grateful to be surrounded by so many beautiful people that have touched me so deeply on so many levels. You’ve all shown me that our pure existence in this world alone is a call to celebration, and that we must seize the occasion with pride and joy, (balloons in tow). So, my friends, simply stated – you made my day. A happy birthday it was, indeed.
All my love,
