I Feel Blessed After Celebrating My Birthday With Family

I recently celebrated my 27th birthday in the company of family. Despite being unable to go out due to government-mandated COVID-19 restrictions, I still had a wonderful celebration at home.

Although it was a weekday, our workload that day wasn’t too heavy or stressful. I was able to do enjoyable and relaxing things. My husband, Jared, and I drove to a nearby café for my morning coffee fix. Then we ordered a special pasta dish for breakfast.

Normally, we make our own food at home to save money for our immediate needs. This time, however, we made an exception. It was my special day, after all.

On the way home, I picked up some candy to share with our daughter, Cittie. For the past few days, we had been busy with work. Although we work from home, we couldn’t play with her as much as we had wanted to. I hoped that by giving her a treat and spending more time playing with her, we could bond more.

As soon as we returned home, I ordered a cake from a fellow small business owner. The cake design was inspired by our favorite comic. I also discovered that a close friend was selling homemade sausages, so I arranged to buy a couple packs.

I genuinely enjoy supporting small businesses because I know how hard it is to survive the intense competition. Jared I have chronic and mental illnesses, and we run a relatively unknown jewelry store. We have firsthand experience competing against established brands, which is like being a tiny fish in an ocean filled with sharks.

We are blessed with loyal clients who are the reason our small business continues to survive. I thought I would share a part of our blessings with other small stores as a way to give back.

Above anything else, I’m thankful that Jared, who has hemophilia, was in good health on my birthday. He didn’t have any ongoing bleeds, so he could spend a few hours on his feet making the loveliest Italian-inspired dinner for us. The kitchen is Jared’s haven, and he loves preparing special dishes. It’s always a pleasure to have one of his culinary creations on the table.

We ended the day having dinner as a family and then birthday cake for dessert. Cittie and I took turns blowing out the candle on my cake. I could tell she was so happy to have both her mommy and daddy with her. Had Jared been immobile at the time, we might not have had such a fun celebration.

Columnist Alliah Czarielle, center, celebrates her 27th birthday with her husband, Jared, right, and daughter, Cittie. (Courtesy of Alliah Czarielle)

It’s been a while since I’ve had a memorable birthday celebration. The past few years have been rough. Not long ago, I spent my birthday next to my mom’s hospital bed as she fought her last battle with cancer. Despite her condition, she still was thoughtful enough to prepare a gift for me.

I remember feeling so sad and helpless at the time. I wished I could take away her pain, yet I didn’t want to lose her. I made a wish to never have to feel sad on my birthday again, but I still felt that way when Jared had a bleed on my 26th birthday.

I can’t say what will happen in the future. I’m slowly learning to accept that I will have both good and bad birthdays, just as there are good and bad regular days. But while things are good, I will be thankful and learn to appreciate these moments. I know they are the moments I can look back at — and forward to.

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