Suh Different

On my birthday, so many friends kept referencing an amazing day. They either wished me to have one or hoped that I had one depending on the time the text came in. I kept wondering what does an amazing day look like and how would I know whether or not I have had one? Secondly, what does one do to have an amazing day? And does your day become amazing just because someone wishes or hopes that you have one?

Well, AI says an amazing day often involves a combination of things that cater to your physical, mental and emotional well being. These things are:

• Rest and rejuvenation: Starting the day feeling refreshed and well rested
• Purpose and accomplishment: Feeling like you have achieved something
• Connection and social interaction: Spending time with loved ones
• Joy and Pleasure: Engaging in activities that you truly enjoy
• Physical well being: Spending time in nature, or simply feeling healthy and energetic
• Learning and growth: Discovering something new, solving a problem or challenging yourself intellectually.
• Mindfulness and Reflection which entails taking time to be present, appreciate surroundings or reflect on your day

It goes even further to suggest questions that will help in determining what an amazing day is for you.

• How do you wake up? Do you ease into the day or jump right into activity?
• Who do you want to spend time with if anyone? Is an amazing day solitary, social or a mix?
• What kind of work or tasks would you find fulfilling, if any?
• What brings you genuine joy and relaxation?
• Where would you be indoors, outdoors, a specific place?
• What kind of food or drink will be involved?
• How would you wind down the day?

Our mode of birthdays celebration evolve depending on circumstances in life. The year 1 birthday is mostly to the satisfaction of the parents as they celebrate 12 months of trial and error. Birthdays in between age 1 and 5 are mostly to validate the child that they are loved and wanted by the parents. From ages 6 the child will know what they want and how they want their birthday to be celebrated. Then on one birthday you realize the decision on whether or not to celebrate a birthday is on you and how you go about it. Some will keep having a momentous occasion ensuring the presence of friends and family. Others make it only a family affair, and there are others who will let the day go by uncelebrated.

My birthday celebration this year was suh different. On my birthdays, I buy an outfit that I will wear on the day to make me feel good. I have celebrated most birthdays with company of either family or friends. An amazing birthday for me always involves good food, looking good and doing something new for the first time. What stood out this year was the feeling of not doing enough to celebrate the day. Having seen majority of the people celebrating around the time of my birthday take trips , I could not help but feel I have fallen short in my birthday celebration by not having travel plans. While I say this, I had actually travelled but a different kind of travel, a travel with a purpose. TMH (allow me to shorten to my husband because I’ll be referencing him a lot in my posts) my birthday was the best one yet and yes, on the large scale of things it really was but even then, I could not stop myself from feeling it was not the typical amazing day.

In this chapter of my life, I am learning that birthday celebrations can be suh different from one person to the next. Even my own perception of a good birthday varies days before the day, on the day and after the day. Work places are suh different, marriages are suh different, taste palettes are suh different ( a lesson had to be repeated for this to stick). So if anything I have learnt in my 27 years is that I need to learn my life lessons fast so that the universe does not repeat the class.

28 for me is suh different. I am loving different, understanding different, accommodating different, seeking different, and learning different.

🥂 Here is to being suh different.