I don’t remember what I was doing at 22 but I was pretty sure life was terrific then with youth on my side. I probably had nary a care in the world and was bumming through my days in university.

I was dating a special someone then and we would spend our weekends watching copious amounts of DVDs from dramas to movies. We would sit at park benches at night and look up to count the stars. We would take long walks by the beach just listening to the sound of waves. We would go on food trails to explore hawker centres and eateries around us, and detox ourselves silly stuffing claypot gong bao ji ding (diced chicken with dried chillies) at Toh Yi Market. It was a form of detoxification because we were guaranteed at least a full day of diarrhea after we ate it. Yet, since we were also still young – and silly – we were mad enough to go back for the experience again and again.

Those were carefree days at 22.

Fast forward 11 years later.

I wished I could declare to myself that 33 is the new 22 as I’ve recently hashtagged on my Instagram but who am I kidding? I don’t get to laze around any more and as long as the kids are in bed by 10pm I don’t really care how many stars there are in the sky. There are more cares on my shoulders today than 11 years ago, and I sometimes worry a lot about how the kids are turning out and how I am burning out. I no longer get to go on food thrills and trails; most of the time I function like a mobile dustbin finishing up what the kids can’t, and the only trail I get is food bits on the floor and ants coming a-marchin’ into our house.

So today, whilst I truly wished I could say in total abandonment and shout it out loud that “33 IS THE NEW 22, YO!”,  I would keep that silly notion to myself and wish myself a very blessed 33rd birthday instead.

I am blessed to have enjoyed a little more than 3 decades of life surrounded by people who have poured selflessly into my heart.

That, is all that matters to me, this year.

This year, as I blow out the candles, my birthday wish is for that one man who has given his all to raising me, loving me, putting up with me, coming to my rescue time and time again, and driving me around tirelessly before I met the one I married – for him to never ever give up hope in living and loving life. Let’s celebrate living life together, shall we?

Happy birthday to me!

P/S: Thank you for pampering me silly today, Fatherkao. What a surprise to get a foot rub, a nice dinner out at my favouritest place to eat at T3 and something so charming on my wrist. Even though we no longer take long walks and listen to the sound of waves at East Coast Park, I’m just really happy to be listening to the sound of silence with you every night after the kids have gone to bed. 11 years later, I am still thankful to be able to be doing so many things with you.