Happy Bird-day To Me!

I can't belieeeewe it.. It's my bird-day already! Ok only the Bollywood (and in particular, Sridevi) fans will get the humour in that line. Anyhow, today is my birthday and I'm turning all of thirty-two. I'll try to say that slowly to let myself absorb the shock of that number... thhiiiiiirrrrrrty twwwooooooo. I remember a time I reveled in the glory and attention that came from being the youngest person in the room. I'm trying to figure out how I got from there, to here- the age that I started beginning sentences with, "I remember a time..."  Thirty-two, I realized last night, is the age that your closest, male (thirty-three year old) friend tells you, "wow.. you're old. Your biological clock is ticking away!" Needless to say, things aren't looking too good for me.

On reading the latest US Harper's Bazaar on my iPad (more on that tomorrow) I was intrigued by pictures of the ever youthful Demi Moore, who is looking as fresh faced and gorgeous as ever. "Women who lie about their age- WHY?" read a caption in her interview. Maybe because we don't have a barrel of botox in our face, and Ashton Kutcher on our arm? Or maybe it's because we look back at our lives, think what could have been and wonder if its too late for us? Could I have studied more? Why didn't I learn the piano? I wish I'd studied French! Why aren't I married yet? What is wrong with me? I promised myself a long time back, I'd have a no-regret-policy to life. And when I turned 30 two years back, I was glad to be leaving the painful twenty's, the decade of self discovery, behind and finally being comfortable in my own skin. In my thirties I've cultivated better relationships within my family, started focusing on my writing more, bought my dream apartment in NYC, furnished my dream apartment in Dubai, fallen in love, broken my heart, furthered my seek towards spirituality, made it to Harvard (albeit for a week!) and much, much more. When I turned 30 I also went out and bought myself a beautiful diamond ring that I proudly wear on the ring finger of my right hand, my thinking being this- Just because I haven't celebrated an engagement with a man yet, does not mean I cannot celebrate my life. And with that, I swore to never, ever, lie about my age.

The constant through my entire journey of life though, have been my amazing friends. Right from my friend Pooja from Bombay, whom I've known for way too long, to my friend Nadia, whom I've known for two years but felt I've known all my life, and everyone in between.. I've been blessed. My love for NYC would not exist, if it wasn't for my best friend Payal who lives there- the closest thing in the world to me. My family friends that live in Geneva, Namrata and Roopali, are so dear to us, my mother calls them her nieces. My foray into spirituality would not exist, if it wasn't for my friend Soniyaa who always reminds me, it's all about faith. Then there is my friend Mariya- whom I love, and love to complain about.. but still have the most fun with. And this list is by no means definitive... Like I said, I've been truly blessed.

To close this post, I was trying to pick a verse from my most favourite poem, "The Psalm of Life" by H.W. Longfellow, but decided no one paragraph could do it justice, so here it is in it's entirety. If you haven't read it, it WILL change your life.

      WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN
                    SAID TO THE PSALMIST
    TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
        Life is but an empty dream ! —
    For the soul is dead that slumbers,
        And things are not what they seem.

    Life is real !   Life is earnest!
        And the grave is not its goal ;
    Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
        Was not spoken of the soul.

    Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
        Is our destined end or way ;
    But to act, that each to-morrow
        Find us farther than to-day.

    Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
        And our hearts, though stout and brave,
    Still, like muffled drums, are beating
        Funeral marches to the grave.

    In the world's broad field of battle,
        In the bivouac of Life,
    Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
        Be a hero in the strife !

    Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !
        Let the dead Past bury its dead !
    Act,— act in the living Present !
        Heart within, and God o'erhead !

    Lives of great men all remind us
        We can make our lives sublime,
    And, departing, leave behind us
        Footprints on the sands of time ;

    Footprints, that perhaps another,
        Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
    A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
        Seeing, shall take heart again.

    Let us, then, be up and doing,
        With a heart for any fate ;
    Still achieving, still pursuing,
        Learn to labor and to wait.

The picture of the cupcake about is from "Sweet Stuff" in Jumeirah, Dubai. The most sylish way to consume calories! Check out their website at www.lovesweetstuff.com