Happy Birthday to Me! Celebration of Life!!

Last 17th Jan was my day - when I completed 50-long years on this beautiful earth, having all the nice and loving people all around me from my very childhood - and it was so, so special for me, that I wanted to celebrate this special day, in a very special and unique way!!

I have never been into celebrating my birthday - being from a middle-class Bengali family, my parents had never indulged in a birthday party having all my friends around, while me cutting my birthday cake. And I never had any regret for that. My mom used to cook payesh - that eternal rice pudding with a fresh aroma of nolen gur, the date palm jaggery, which is available only during winter season in Bengal. And there used to be some special lunch or dinner. As a birthday gift, most of the time I used to get story books, and my mom used to buy new dresses and a new stainless steel dinner plate along with a bowl, in which she used to serve the special food. I remember when I grew little old, I used to tell my mom - why do you always get a dinner plate in the occasion of my birthday - it is actually going to be your gift, not mine! That was all about, celebrating my birthday till I left home for higher studies.

Later in my life, I got so used to with not having a birthday party, that it never bothered me! After marriage, a birthday dinner in a nice restaurant, has been a mandatory part of the celebration - and that's all to make me happy and fulfilled.

This time, I wanted to make it little special in various ways. First of all, in Facebook profile, intentionally I had hidden my birthday information, just the previous day. So that no one is notified about the day - and tell me a reason, for which they should be notified - I am not a celebrity person, nor I am a social-reformer - I have such a negligible presence in this whole, big world - why should people be notified for my birthday? Also I wanted to spend a day peacefully, with myself only.

Initially I was planning to spend the day, with my almost octogenarian parents - but that didn't happen. I feel, a birthday is most important day for the person, and for the parents. Yes, it is surely a memorable milestone. However, I have visited them only in last December, and again spending money for a flight ticket was out of budget. So I left that idea.

However, being a super-positive person I am, I wanted to be only happy and content with myself and my life - so whatever situation it was, my mind was filled with excitement about the day. Yes, after a long time, it's going to be a day with myself! A date with ME!

Since I love knitting, I made a shrug for myself, for my birthday. Here also, I wanted to make it a full-sleeve cardigan, but the yarn fell short. I tried to order the same yarn in the online store, however it was out of stock. So, no issues! I just made a shrug - a self-knit full-sleeve cardigan will be in my next bucket list. Never mind!

 

The day was here - and I took a day off from my job. Phone calls and whatsapp messages started pouring in from morning - these are the times when I think, do I really deserve all these genuine love? Parents, relatives, close friends - tried their best to remember this date just to wish me! I am so bad in remembering dates, and when someone does it so easily, I am absolutely shocked and amazed, both! I have no words to be grateful for all these love and blessings - that way I am so, so lucky and blessed! People love me unconditionally - is there any thing by which I can justify this? No - only gratitude!!

The morning was over, husband was getting ready for his office - and I was getting more and more excited - as if I am going to a date for the first time! And then, the time came - when I was left in my 2-bhk apartment all alone, having 2 balconies flooded with sun-shine, a glaring blue sky on top to stare at, gentle breeze with a sudden chill, me on the bean bag, with my latest crochet project on hand to complete, stretching my feet in the bright, burning yet comforting sunlight - a perfect bliss!!! How I wanted to enjoy these moments, to celebrate my life, to love myself - for last 50 years or so!!! These moments are going to be most memorable for me, for rest of my life!!! I am going to be fully rejuvenated, to spend my remaining days on this beautiful earth!!!

I relaxed for couple of hours, then got up to cook a special lunch, my birthday-special payesh and to bake my birthday cake! Yes, you heard it right!! I consider myself extremely privileged that way - I can have the bite of freshly baked birthday cake, from when I started baking at home. I am not a pro-baker - but my cakes are quite good, iced with lots of genuine warm-hearted love!! Ha ha ha!! The cake I baked, was a simple coffee cake - I wanted to put walnuts into it, but all my walnuts were infested with fungus. Then I searched for cashew-nuts, and I found the container is completely empty! My co-residents have surely finished it all, without my knowledge! That's ok! I added a bit of coffee powder, to the cake batter - and it came out perfect! Just be happy with whatever you have - life's motto!!

 

The lunch was pasta with fresh mushrooms, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and pan-seared chicken! Thank God, all the ingredients were available in my kitchen, so I didn't have to compromise on that - other than the quantity of cheese, obviously!! 

We went out for dinner - and it was a nice, delicious meal too! Got an opportunity to taste bamboo chicken biryani for the first time, in my 50 years! And it was real good.

 

Among all these, I forgot to mention that I got couple of new kurtis and a jegging, as my birthday gifts! My mom ordered me to to get new dresses, so being a good girl, I ordered those from a online shop. I have also received a beautiful bedside lamp as a birthday gift, from my office!

And finally, I also planned for this blog and a new Instagram page for my knitting projects - https://www.instagram.com/my.knitting.space/. I would surely try my best to continue writing for this blog, for rest of my life. The name of this blog - Afternoon Melodies - depicts the phase of my life, when I am expecting evening and night to fall in days to come! The life has taught me so many things, I want to share all my wisdom with everyone - who loves me! May be that's going to be the perfect return gift, which I can think of!

So buckle up, sit relaxed, and enjoy the bliss - called life - my life, your lives, life all around the world, the galaxy, the universe! Let's enjoy and celebrate, being together!!!