The Day They Loved You
I would really be lying quite exceptionally if I said this year hasn't been tough. Of course it has, it has been a hoard of new things. I have had to learn that things that I am bad at are not things that I will always be bad at, but simply things that I am not good at yet. I have had to learn how to fail. How to get back up and then fail again. How to push myself and how to not feel guilty for relaxing. I've had to learn how to do everything on a rather thin budget, but not use the money-excuse to say "no" to everything. I have even learned how to use my diary/planner efficiently - something I didn't manage to do in 12 years of schooling. I have not learned how to drive but please give me time, can you not see the other mountain of things I am trying to learn? Anyway, learning curves are always hard. And sometimes life is a bit disheartening. But days like today stand as a reminder that even in the midst of losing battles, if one is surrounded by people who love them, there is always hope. I had to record the day so that I will never forget it, so here it is Future Jen: The Day They Loved You (important to note: they love me everyday, and I them, but today in particular).
It's the 16th of August 2016 which is exactly two decades after the day I was born into this world. A twentieth birthday isn't wildly exciting as all the fun stuff that one can do at 18 has been celebrated and dealt with and the big 21 is still to come so 20 is a bit intermediate and uninteresting. I thought the day would be a reflection of this. Turns out I couldn't really have been more wrong about that. Today was monumental.
Lets do a play-by-play:
6:30am: I am woken up with the singing of happy birthday, a sparkler and a cup of tea. Accompanied by six human beings who aren't human beings at all but actually angels sent from the heavens. Six of my friends had gathered at my home to wake me up and welcome me into the day.
7:00: I am lead downstairs to a feast of strawberries, yoghurt, egg, bacon, champagne, orange juice ect. Chris and Dad are key orchestrators in this spread and deserve a big cheers.
7:something (I wasn't really keeping track of time): I get presented with a jar of messages from a wide variety of special people. Josie Anne Roux, with the help from a couple of my friends, has organised for friends and family to write lovely things which have then been painstakingly written out (can we give Sarah and Natalie a round of applause) and popped into a jar that I would like to have buried in my coffin with me please. Many messages were whatsapped so they wrote them out by hand. Neatly. I read them all when I came home from varsity and was reduced to tears. It really was ridiculous. If you're reading this and you wrote something: I really don't have words for you. How can one person be so loved?
8:15: We all head off to varsity, armed with coffee from a nearby cafe that makes a hellava cuppa joe.
10:00: Natalie and Sarah and I meet for coffee which turns into lunch at Cavendish and then dropping me off back home around 12:30. Here's when I read the jar of notes and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with love for and from everybody.
Like 2-ish?: Matthew comes over and spends the afternoon with me even though his schedule is jam-packed and stressful and full of scary things like a finance test coming up on Thursday. But he puts on a playlist and chats about life and nothing and everything.
4:00: Matt has to leave but to be replaced by Granny Mum, and a hoard of cousins and aunts and uncles. Crunchies are involved. Cake is involved. Tea is involved.
Jose comes at some point and I almost suffocate her in a hug because look what she has done. I think expectations are high for her birthday, so if everyone wouldn't mind pitching in - I want to organise a trip around the galaxy for her because, you know, she is a real living star.
5/6 who knows at this point: A couple of neighbours pop round and they are lovely and give me hugs and how could I possibly feel more loved and yet I do.
Everyone leaves around supper time, so I reread my jar of notes and chat to Dad and Chris who are catering to my every need and being generally lovely (for a change. JK. Maybe).
Now I am in bed being comfy knowing that I am putting off quite a bit of work but not really minding because today has been a bright sparkler in the midst of a shroudy darkness.
Thank you to everybody who thought of me, wrote to me, sang to me and ate with me today. It is a wonder that I am surrounded by such incredible friends and family, although I feel like those two terms are starting to meld into one. I'm a lucky girl.
Exhibit B. Initial Shock.
All my love to you,
Jen x
It's the 16th of August 2016 which is exactly two decades after the day I was born into this world. A twentieth birthday isn't wildly exciting as all the fun stuff that one can do at 18 has been celebrated and dealt with and the big 21 is still to come so 20 is a bit intermediate and uninteresting. I thought the day would be a reflection of this. Turns out I couldn't really have been more wrong about that. Today was monumental.
Lets do a play-by-play:
6:30am: I am woken up with the singing of happy birthday, a sparkler and a cup of tea. Accompanied by six human beings who aren't human beings at all but actually angels sent from the heavens. Six of my friends had gathered at my home to wake me up and welcome me into the day.
7:00: I am lead downstairs to a feast of strawberries, yoghurt, egg, bacon, champagne, orange juice ect. Chris and Dad are key orchestrators in this spread and deserve a big cheers.
7:something (I wasn't really keeping track of time): I get presented with a jar of messages from a wide variety of special people. Josie Anne Roux, with the help from a couple of my friends, has organised for friends and family to write lovely things which have then been painstakingly written out (can we give Sarah and Natalie a round of applause) and popped into a jar that I would like to have buried in my coffin with me please. Many messages were whatsapped so they wrote them out by hand. Neatly. I read them all when I came home from varsity and was reduced to tears. It really was ridiculous. If you're reading this and you wrote something: I really don't have words for you. How can one person be so loved?
8:15: We all head off to varsity, armed with coffee from a nearby cafe that makes a hellava cuppa joe.
10:00: Natalie and Sarah and I meet for coffee which turns into lunch at Cavendish and then dropping me off back home around 12:30. Here's when I read the jar of notes and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with love for and from everybody.
Like 2-ish?: Matthew comes over and spends the afternoon with me even though his schedule is jam-packed and stressful and full of scary things like a finance test coming up on Thursday. But he puts on a playlist and chats about life and nothing and everything.
4:00: Matt has to leave but to be replaced by Granny Mum, and a hoard of cousins and aunts and uncles. Crunchies are involved. Cake is involved. Tea is involved.
Jose comes at some point and I almost suffocate her in a hug because look what she has done. I think expectations are high for her birthday, so if everyone wouldn't mind pitching in - I want to organise a trip around the galaxy for her because, you know, she is a real living star.
5/6 who knows at this point: A couple of neighbours pop round and they are lovely and give me hugs and how could I possibly feel more loved and yet I do.
Everyone leaves around supper time, so I reread my jar of notes and chat to Dad and Chris who are catering to my every need and being generally lovely (for a change. JK. Maybe).
Now I am in bed being comfy knowing that I am putting off quite a bit of work but not really minding because today has been a bright sparkler in the midst of a shroudy darkness.
Thank you to everybody who thought of me, wrote to me, sang to me and ate with me today. It is a wonder that I am surrounded by such incredible friends and family, although I feel like those two terms are starting to meld into one. I'm a lucky girl.
After getting over initial shock I am filled with genuine happiness. Exhibit A.
All my love to you,
Jen x
Wow Jen! It looks like your birthday was fab!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was! Thanks Kates!!!!
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