32nd b'day

I love my b'day.
There's nothing about having a day where you are IT, where everything is all about you that makes you want to get up and bubble over.

Things I want to remember forever about this b'day:

• My dad's superfunny story of the shoddily arranged function he was forced to attend in Kerala and how gungho he was about complaining at said forum and how he dashed back home to write letter of complaint, all of which made the genetic code in my body tingle because we are that alike.
• My brother's song in a voicemail of a very literal malayalam translation of Happy Birthday kiddo (Santosham Janamadinam Kuttika), which was repeated ad hilarioum.
• My sister and my mom stories of fun stuff.
• The M.L's thoughtful gift of one lovely thing about why I was born sent to me every day for an entire week. She paints me in a way that makes me want to be better.
• The A.D & J.V staying up till midnight to wish me.
• The R.P & so very many other friends' little emails.

I am super blessed to have these people in my life who ground me and center me. Who know where I come from & what I am about, who have seen me grow, and who know all my contexts. & for whom, I shall always hope & strive.

And finally, the boy.
Sigh the boy. The boy has such a spotty record with b'day but Bless his embellishing heart, he tries so!!!
After very many failed attempts at gift giving (including one year where I got a fog machine and another where I got a chocolate fountain, which "babe also turns into a drinks fountain, come ON - how can you not like that??" and yet another where I got a 4 foot stuffed panda or teddy, all of which were returned, sold or abandoned), I wasn't very sure what to expect. I made multiple threats and threw multiple tantrums to ensure the boy looked at my wish list site at least once every day.

After a very wonderful dinner at a lovely high ceilinged, chandelier draped (can you tell we've been house hunting?) Italian restaurant where the gnocchi in truffle sauce, the mussels, the salad, the tiny lemon cookies were all lipsmackingly brilliant, I was given multiple gifts - all lovely and very technology driven from Sephora & Apple. We got home, popped in Seven Samurai in the wonderful DVD player that A.D & her boy sent us and revelled in us.

All I can say is thank you boy.
Though you did do your very unique brand of creative thinking, I do love my gifts. Much more than that, I love you. I am glad to have you and know that with you, I am completely, uninhibitedly myself.