HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEE! I just turned 21 years old a couple days ago. I was in disbelief, like I even thought to myself: “OMG! I’m turning 21? I’m getting old and I’ve yet to accomplish anything.” It was an awful way of thinking, but I just shrugged it off and went on with my debut or my 21st birthday. It was my day and I can’t be ruining it with that type of mindset.
If you’re wondering why I called it “debut” well here in the Philippines when a girl turns 18, we celebrate it in an extravagant and formal way, a party with 18 candles, 18 roses and other 18 different kind of things. That’s what we call here in the Philippines a girl’s “debut” or day of legality as some people like to call it, but for the boys that are turning into men, we instead celebrate it at a later birthday at the age of 21 and with lesser formal celebrations. Our tradition dates back to when we Filipinos we’re colonized by different countries and adapted from them these types of celebrations which we now call a “debut”.
MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 🎂🎉
My 21st birthday or debut was one of the best birthdays I had ever celebrated despite being in a pandemic. We prepared different kind of meals for the guests coming, family and friends but not that much because we had to maintain capacity just celebrating in our own home because of the pandemic still happening it sucks but it was wonderful nonetheless, and my amazing girlfriend brought the best mango cake one could buy here in my local town. Everyone was having a good time, my dad and a couple of his friends were sitting on one table having “bahal” or “bahalina” sometimes called “coconut red wine”, all of them we’re laughing and smiling and just having a good time, me and my mom busy with preparing the meals so that we can eat, it was starving already. After preparing the table and the plates we gathered around and chanting the spell, I mean song lol, the happy birthday song as it comes to an end, I made a wish and blew the candle. I was grateful for that day and always will be. It was nothing out of the ordinary, celebrating at home full of laughter and joy and that’s what made it extra special. A simple birthday party with the people I adore and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
✨FOOD FOR THOUGHT✨
As I said earlier in my post that I started off my birthday with an awful thought in my head which was annoying at first but as I went on with my day and had loads of fun. I remembered everything I went through my 21 years of living in this world. I didn’t get a chance to give a speech or anything on my birthday so I’d like to share my thoughts here about my journey before I turned 21 and the things I learned along the way. A speech of sorts for my birthday, hope it’ll give you some sort of enlightenment as It has given me.
You know that feeling when we feel so down and disappointed with ourselves after a day of working, trying to be productive not actually finishing anything at the end of the day? Yes, that feeling, well we’ve all been there and it sucks. So, here’s something that might help with that, when the day starts do something that’ll make you feel accomplished already like cleaning your room, making yourself a cup of coffee, taking a bath, take care of yourself. All those things I said are accomplishments no matter how small, and be thankful for them, you count every blessing on that day and feel your worth. Just because you didn’t finish anything big that day doesn’t mean you weren’t productive. Remember that the little accomplishments in life is just as important as the big ones.
I don’t want to be the one saying “you got to love yourself first before you can love someone else” but I do agree on the thought of loving and working on yourself to be the best version of you. You compliment yourself when you look at the mirror, you eat healthy, learn something new, educate yourself about your surroundings for better understanding of your community and what you can do to help. Hold yourself accountable when you have done wrong or hurt someone intentionally or unintentionally cause your actions are yours alone and we have to be aware of such things. Self-awareness is just as important as self-love. Though it may be hard at first but you’ll get there, work on it and trust the process.
It’s okay not to be okay, what’s not okay is staying that way. I know in life things can get really tough and challenging and you just want to give up. That’s normal, that’s life. I know it may sound insensitive to tell you to just get over it but you have to, eventually. If you’re feeling down and nothing has been going your way for a long time, you feel it, you embrace it, acknowledge yourself for being human and having emptions but don’t go in too deep. Stay there for as long as you want but you have to pick yourself back up again because you’ve got to keep fighting even if you still have that lingering feeling. A quote in the movie “rocky” said that “it isn’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward.” Though take my advice with a grain of salt.
So those are some of the things I learned along the way of becoming a man or yet to become a man because I actually haven’t completely applied all those into myself yet but I am getting there slowly but surely. As I said trust the process 😉.
I am so thankful for the people in my life right now, my family here and my family at Cebu and to my amazing girlfriend that made my birthday special, and the people I met throughout my life that helped me become the man I am today. I appreciate you all.
To anyone out there who’s having a tough time, always remember that you are not alone and there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. Hope in this birthday/self-improvement blog of mine was a little bit of help at least. You’ll get where you want to be eventually, sending love from the Philippines.
Thank you for staying, hopefully you enjoyed my content and if you did, please leave a like, comment, and follow. More content to come 😊.
