My heart has been brimming with gratitude and joy this week for several reasons. It was my birthday over the weekend, so firstly, I’d like to thank everyone that sent me beautiful greetings through my various social media and email channels! The outpouring of love and birthday wishes was overwhelming and extremely heartwarming indeed! I am immensely grateful for the presence of all of you in my life!
Now let me take you on a little journey through my magical birthday weekend tale of surprises, sweetness, and serendipity!
The Surprise That Started it All...
Picture this: It’s Friday night, the evening before my birthday, and Danny has convinced me to go out for dinner to celebrate my birthday with him a day early, because he knows my friends are taking me out for a long and leisurely brunch on my actual birthday the following day. So I get dressed and am under the impression that he’s taking me out to a quiet dinner, just the two of us, to one of my favorite restaurants. Little did I know that a grand surprise was brewing behind the scenes, orchestrated by none other than my very own wizard behind the curtain – Danny!
As I walked towards what I thought would be a little table for two in the corner, we were led into a separate room where I was boisterously greeted by the joyous faces of friends and loved ones, complete with party hats and balloons! To say I was surprised is an understatement!
How Danny and at least 25 other people managed to keep this delightful secret under wraps from me, I’ll never know! And many of these are people who I speak to or see on a regular basis! I was reminded of life’s beautiful ability to surprise us when we least expect it.
A Day in Little India
The festivities continued into my actual birthday (Saturday), which was spent in the vibrant and colorful streets of Little India (Artesia) here in Los Angeles. There’s something very sweet and special about the energy of LA’s local version of Little India. As if to join in the celebrations, the blossoms on the trees that lined the streets were in full bloom! Spending the day there with some of my closest friends who have become like family to me was the perfect way to celebrate life!
Reflections and Gratitude
As I reflect on the weekend’s festivities, I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the love that surrounds me, for the surprises that life throws my way, and for the beautiful community (including my online community) that I have the pleasure of being a part of.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being part of this journey with me. Thank you for making this part of my journey so easy, and so much fun! Your support and love mean the world to me, and I am endlessly grateful for each and every one of you. I still pinch myself regularly to make sure this is all real, because deep down, I’m still the painfully shy little girl who grew up in Hong Kong; the one who was satisfied with hiding behind other people’s shadows.
May we all continue to embrace the surprises of life, find sweetness in the simple things, and remember the power we have to overcome obstacles.
Much love,
Anita
