CELEBRATING IN STYLE.....

The Celebrant And Her Family.....






Michael Jackson Comes Alive.....






I received a call from one of my cousins, Manang Petty one day. "Gusto mong pumunta maki-birthday?" she asked. "Sino ang magbi-birthday?" I asked in reply. "Si Manang Meriam mo at ang venue ay sa Quezon City Sports Club. Magkita tayo ng mga 5:30 sa Cayco. Sama ka?" she answered back. I consulted my brother and asked if he wanted to go. I called my cousin back and told her of our intention to go and tag along with her and expect us to be around the meeting place at 5:30 pm.

So this time, it's Manang Miriam's turn to celebrate. And for someone who is officially a senior citizen, I say her looks do not show it. I guess it is in our genes to actually look younger than our age. There may be some exceptions but overall, my maternal blood relatives have this trait.

I was looking forward to attending this birthday bash, as I recently just visited a sad event, attending a burial of someone, just to lift my spirit up a bit from the gloom of sadness. It made me stop for a moment and ponder about life in general, the alpha and the omega; the yin and the yang; the good and the bad; joy and sorrow. Man may never know when one's life is about to end but this is what celebrating birthdays are for, to give thanks to the Lord Almighty for giving as another year to tread this earth.

I secretly envy watching my cousins who belong to a large family. Every occasion becomes an informal reunion of sorts, with noisy kids and chatting adults. Also, the added bonus of having to rely on a much bigger support system when life gets difficult is also a plus. It may be chaotic but it can be loads of fun.

It was rather great to see Manang Miriam's other siblings who flew in from the United States just to celebrate this occasion with her. And Manang Miriam decided to go all out for this bash. It is a pity though that the weather did not cooperate as the rain started to fall. If it didn't rain, perhaps there would be more guests who were able to come and party with the celebrant too.

The highlight of the night was the appearance of some dance instructors who started to dance with everyone (well anyone who fancied dancing the swing). And in the end, the dancing just got longer when the instructors began to teach everyone (well as in everyone who cared to dance) the steps to line dancing.

We did went home around night time but it was quite evident that everyone had fun. To Manang Miriam, Happy Birthday! And thank you for celebrating this momentous occasion in style and including us. My prayers for your good health and until your next birthday bash..... c",)