In about a week, I’m going to be 21 years old. This birthday is most likely the last super exciting one I’ll have until maybe 25 when I can rent a car (Woo!). And if you had asked me even a year ago how I pictured my twenty first birthday would go, I’d probably paint you a picture of my family and friends gathered together, travelling from bar to bar, celebrating (legally) with a healthy amount of alcohol. That plan will definitely not be played out this year.
If and when COVID is under control next year, a lot of 22 year olds may take a day to celebrate their twenty first birthdays the right way. For now, we have to find safer ways to commemorate the special day. I want to take the time to point out a few of the things that I’m grateful for this birthday, even if I can’t celebrate to the extent that I’d like.
This birthday, I’m grateful that I am healthy and alive for another trip around the sun. Turning 21 in the middle of a pandemic wasn’t the plan, but it’s allowed me to open my eyes to the fact that I shouldn’t take my health for granted ever. I’m young, healthy and thankful that every day I get to wake up and see another sunrise and sunset. No hardship will ever take away from this fact.
This birthday, I’m grateful for my family and friends. I truly believe that I hit the jackpot in these areas. Not a day goes by where I don’t feel loved by my parents, my siblings, my friends, even my coworkers. Living 300 miles from my family, I feel their love. Without these people, I wouldn’t see all the positives in any given situation, I wouldn’t laugh as much as I do and I wouldn’t know how to navigate half the things I do day-to-day. Life can get pretty hard to deal with, especially on your own. My support system means everything to me.
This birthday, I’m grateful to have access to mental health resources. I’ve struggled in the past with my mental health, and never took the necessary steps to reach out for help. I’ve started seeing a counselor again, and I just need to recognize that this is a privilege and something I am extremely appreciative for. I am working on myself for myself, and that makes this birthday special.
At the end of it, all this day means is that I’m a little bit older. But this year feels different for a multitude of reasons. I’m going to celebrate each of these things more often, rather than waiting for a monumental life moment to force me to recognize them. Life is good. Happy birthday to me.