Turning 27

I do not have any particular wish on my birthday. Not even long life, despite mum asking me to eat long noodles for dinner today (a symbol of long life...)

I do not need much in my life at this moment in my life. I have my health, I can walk, I can see, I can think. I can do whatever I want with what I have, and I can go anywhere I want whenever I want. Being alive and healthy is a gift, a precious one I value more and more every day, and every time I see someone weakened and pained by illness, or taken away by death...

I have a family, a mother who loves me deeply, who cares about me, accepts me for who I am, and worries about me, even when I tell her not to. I have a brother, a sister-in-law, and a whole bunch of relatives who will always welcome me into their homes. And I have a father, who though already departed, still smiles down at me whenever I look up at the sky.

And I have great friends, a loving cat waiting patiently for my return (and another cat elsewhere...). And for the first time in a long, long time (or perhaps, ever...), a loving and caring partner who makes me feel loved, makes me feel special and warm inside.

I may not have a job or a clue what I want to do with my life. But I know somehow, and sometime soon, I will eventually find my way in the world.

I have also the teachings of the Buddha, which allows me to see 'through' life, to see 'through' the ways of the world and all its discontents, providing me with the ability to live more peacefully and be more at ease, with the world, and with myself.

I do not wish for much on this day... just that I hope the world, and all its beings may be well, happy, and free from suffering.