Today started out as a continuation of yesterday. Yesterday was very special to me. From the time I got to know what yesterday’s date being 21st of June signifies to the world, I have always appreciated and cherished that date.
Brief history
The 21st of June is an astronomical date as it is the day when Summer Solstice occurs.
Summer Solstice simply refers to the time when the upper half of the earth tilts towards the sun, creating the longest day and shortest night of the year. This marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
During the summer solstice:
The sun is at its highest point in the sky.
Days are longest, and nights are shortest.
The sun rises early and sets late.
From the brief explanation above, you can see why I appreciate yesterday's date. Personally, yesterday holds a great significance in my life as it was the day I was born into earth.
I am so grateful to be born on such a phenomenal day. I bring in the sun of summer, hehe. I'm sure that everyone's date is special and that's why we celebrate our birthdays right?
Whenever it is my birthday, I have this tradition I made up more than a decade ago and that is to pamper myself by myself. If my birthday falls on a day of the week then I'll take a leave of absence from work. I would take myself out to an eatery or a beach and unwind. That is after I've settled the members of my family of course.
If I happen to be financially buoyant, then I'll allow some few friends to tag along. I'll then come back home to rest and reflect on how the previous year has been, the mistakes made and what not to repeat in the coming year. My birthdays are like my own personal new year.
So yesterday, things didn't go according to my usual plans. My church organized a four day program and my birthday happened to fall on the third day of the program which was yesterday. I found myself attending church services from Thursday to today being the final day.
Even though I was occupied with service to God, I still had a great time yesterday. The whole congregation celebrated me and It actually felt surreal to have people love you and care for you. I didn't spend a dime but there were lots of goodies that went round and also came to me.
I'm not a big fan of crowds but yesterday, I felt a new sense of excitement as I listened to everyone in church wish me a happy birthday. It was wonderful. A friend even surprised me with a customized water flask as a gift. That was not even part of the cash gifts that I received.
My thirty-fifth birthday,though spent in church, amongst fellow members who love me, was the best so far. Next year, I'll surely not spend my day all to myself anymore. Being with people who love and care deeply about you is so amazing and I'm blessed to have such a loving community.
I won't forget my online family as well. Many of my friends reached out to me with their goodwill messages via WhatsApp and Facebook. My phone was just buzzing like a bumble bee and I felt so happy, honoured and loved. I'll forever appreciate this gesture of love and care.
Once again, Happy birthday to me 🎉🎉🎂🎂
Thank you all for reading.
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