How Time Flies..Happy Birthday to My Brother who is 21!

I watched on Instagram how grand a 21st birthday is, with special birthday set up with friends and family celebrating this special occasion together as he or she leaves the teenage angst behind and step forward to the treacherous life ahead called...adulthood. Lol, I made it seem like it's the worst thing to happen but just as we learn and grow in every stage of our life, basically I think the most challenging is being in your twenties. It's full of hope, love and promises and on the other spectrum, disappointments, despair and well, heaps of bills. We start to question where we stand and where do we go from here.

But we all have to grow up and from our twenties, we learn a heck lot that when we enter our thirties (ahem..) we mellowed down a bit as we start to settle in. However, we question life even more like for many of us, the twenties have been a roller coaster ride and now we have left the ride and we think, what now. We felt that we shouldn't be wasting our life any further and as many of us have entered new territories such as getting married, climbing up the career leader, running successful business and juggling all these in a so called work-life balance.

Life becomes more meaningful as you start to concentrate your energy into things that matter, rather than being in every thing that we feel passionate for or fear in being left out. Now, you just wanna concentrate in running your own life, rather than just being defiant about doing things that people want you to become. Of course being in the thirties doesn't mean you are in a very secured place and and that you know what you want already because life is a continuous journey of self discovery. Of course, there are those who have families and established careers, are comfortable where they are right now. This is what they want and they couldn't ask for more For others, people like me,  we just have to keep on moving because you don't want to always remain stagnant. For example, getting a new job, pursuing further education, meeting new people, running a business, travelling and discover new places and do more volunteer work.

Okay, before I go on and on, I am a little bit sad that we are not able to hold such grand birthday celebration for him. But he's a simple young man. He doesn't like asking for things. His birthday is like any regular day for him except for that day, he worked shorter hours in his part time job and went home to sleep. That's it. 

But just because it doesn't bother him, doesn't mean we will just ignore and treat it like any OTHER day. We continue the tradition of buying a cake for him, him in his home clothes, mum getting the paper plates ready and me attempting to light up the candles without burning my fingers. A simple celebration for a simple guy.

I hope you remain as down to earth as you are right now. I know you don't like to talk about your impending national service but I will be praying for your safety every single day because you're the only brother I've got and I can't ask for more. I know that I used to think that juggling this family would be much easier if I don't have a younger brother to support. But the fact that you're so fuss free and that without you around, I don't know who I can talk my problems too. Life used to be so depressing to me but as you grow older, you grow wiser too and I know you don't really understand my problems but at times, you give such simple and straight forward response that even as an adult, who is 14 years older than you, I don't understand why I make such silly mistakes.

I know you may seem to not care so much all the time like some typical teenager but when mum is in her bad mood and giving attitude, you didn't hesitate to step in for me. For that, I am forever grateful that God gives me such an angel brother.

Happy 21st birthday to my younger brother. And as I said to you, always remain grounded, no matter what life throws your way now that you have stepped into adulthood. You will always have my back and support.

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