Home for my Birthday

Hallo Jakarta!

My beloved parents asked me to come home for my 25th birthday and I didn't mind at all. I haven't been home for a while and I miss this town, but mostly I miss my family.

For those who don't know, it is Ramadan for us Muslim where we fast for the entire day and we only eat our meal before sunrise and break the fast at sundown. I came home Sunday nite when my parents told me the plan for the pre morning meal tomorrow. We had 200 box food with rice and chicken to be distributed around town before the morning meal. So I started my birthday day at 2am with family and friends with a big ugly truck going around Jakarta handing these food to homeless people who need them.

This is an experience I've never had before and I will always be grateful to my parents for suggesting it. There are those of us lucky enough to have simple things in life like a home. There are millions out there who do not. What I did today doesn't help them more than for one day. I wonder what we can do if everyone do more to help. I wonder?

I don't get to see my sister a lot so it was also enjoyable to do this with her. I ended up spending the whole day with her. Mostly we chat about her life and mine. In the afternoon, I drag her to the old gym I used to go to in Jakarta for a workout and met my old personal trainer. We worked out together for a couple hours (although I think we chit chat more than we worked out:).

The other cool thing that happened that day was when I came to my jakarta apartment where my sister lives after we worked out. For some weird reason, my sister told me I should go the bedroom. As I open the door, there were 24 red roses and 1 yellow rose scattered throughout the bed, each accompanied with a small birthday card. In the middle of it was a small gift.

I was highly surprised mostly because I didn't expect my boyfriend to do something like this. Between screaming and crying, I wasn't sure what to do until he appeared from the bathroom (after hiding for half an hour:) to wish me happy birthday.

He told me the 25 roses represented my 25th birthday. One yellow rose with today's birthday card and the other 24 for the past 24 years he missed my birthdays. What a woman to do when given something like that...

I like surprises. Especially like this one. It is a nice way to spend my birthday.

The day end with a family dinner and gathering at my family spiritual mentor's house. He is a person that have always there for my family in time of needs and in time of happiness. We talked... All of us. About life, spirituality and destiny. I don't know where my life goes after this. I do know that today, on my birthday, I am thankful. I am blessed.

Tiara

PS: For those who wished me Happy Birthday via comments and via email, Thank you!