Today is my birthday and to celebrate, I wrote a haiku.
Thank you to my wonderful family for surprising me today. It was a simple celebration with a matcha green tea cake and some takeout. I was freed of cooking and cleaning duties for the day, so what better gift could I have asked for.
I’ve grown up living a very simplistic lifestyle. Wake up. School. Homework. Sleep. Literally, that was the best way to summarize my typical day as a child.
My parents never organized a birthday party for me before, but I never complained or was envious of my friends who had one every year.
Despite the simplicity, birthdays were special to me because it was the one day that my Dad would come home earlier from work to have dinner with us. My Dad ran his own shop so he always came home late from work.
Best part about birthdays at our house was that the weekend before our big day, Dad would always treat us out to dinner and order a birthday cake. It was never about presents, but just celebrating an occasion together with family. Perhaps because I’m a sentimental person, small actions like spending time are always more valuable than any expensive piece of jewelry. The time I spent with my Dad was always precious. Looking back, I wished we could continue this tradition, but it got tougher when I married and moved out.
Well, this year is my very first birthday as a published author. Although I have many wishes for the year ahead, I am most grateful for everyone in my life – family, friends, coworkers, readers, and collaborators – thank you for being my #1 fans❤️.
Cheers to the year ahead: wishing to continue sharing my writing with everyone.