My Ultimate Birthday Wish (plus snaps from my party past!)

When I was little, my Grandma ‘Omite’ used to bake me a mega-fantastic cake every year for my birthday.

Sometimes, it was a traditional Latvian yeast cake, called a ‘Klingeris’, other times, an elaborate sponge cake topped with mountains of juicy-red strawberries. On my fifth birthday, she crafted miniature daisies from pale pink & white marshmallows which decorated a giant number 5. Birthdays were always about celebration with family & friends. Laughter. Balloons. Presents. Fun. SO much fun.

 

Health challenges curbed a few B-Day celebrations in my teens, but in my twenties, I made up for that in a big way. For my twenty-first, my sister flew in from Melbourne, ‘Secret Squirrel’- style, and surprised me with an overnight stay at a 5 Star Hotel.

A couple of years later, (along with a fellow Capricorn friend), I threw a ‘STUDIO 54’ themed disco soirée, complete with Go Go Dancers, glittery decor and an indoor swing. A night right out of the popular, self-titled Box Office movie!

 

 

A clear, balmy evening welcomed my next celebration … an ‘ARABIAN NIGHT’ banquet held on the footpath of a fave, inner city eatery. The long table flanked by a trail of mystical luminaries and delicately awash with rose petals and bundles of succulent Turkish Delight.

 

 

A canopy of fairy lights in a private restaurant courtyard, created the perfect atmosphere for my ‘BLUE HAWAII’ birthday bash. A massive, kitschy ocean backdrop, awesome DJ, and a personalized menu clinched the deal.

 

 

I treasure those and all of the other birthday memories. The free-flowin’ laughter, the audacious dance moves, the unforgettable atmosphere, the wonderful friends who came to celebrate with me and make me feel special. So, SO fortunate to have had all those experiences.

My reality right now however, is light years away from that awesome, party-packed time. Confined to a small space and living with a game-changing chronic illness like EI/MCS & CFS etc, means that my birthday, has not only changed in the obvious ways, but also shifted in radical significance.

I can’t wear the glam ensembles or use the pretty skincare products or devour delicious dinners or special sweet treats anymore. Because of my current level of chemical sensitivity/reactivity/symptoms, I can’t actually BE in the same room as people wearing fragrances, aftershaves, deodorants, body sprays, lotions, hair sprays or newly dry-cleaned clothes etc. Dinner parties on inner city footpaths come hand-in-hand with billowing clouds of exhaust from passing motor cars. A simple Greeting Card, too hard to handle because of the biro ink used to scribble a festive message inside.

The lovely gifts I once received & adored, I cannot enjoy or use anymore. When someone asked me recently what I would like for my birthday, the first thing that came to mind, wasn’t something that I may have coveted in the past, like a gorgeous handbag or beautiful coffee table book, but the likes of organic food, a safe place to live, bedding and warm clothing that my body will tolerate. Yep, my life. Light. Years. Away.

I don’t long for parties and possessions anymore, but blood tests and supplements from the Compound Pharmacy, someone to accompany my beloved cat, Bubba to the vet and the one thing I always used to take for granted … just hangin’ in the same space as other human beings.

It’s not that I wouldn’t put my hand up for a fun night out on the town, who wouldn’t love that, right? But now, my ULTIMATE BIRTHDAY WISH … is not something you can grab a hold of or capture in a hashtag-able selfie for Instagram. It’s a wish, a heartfelt dream that money just can’t buy … independence, spontaneity and energy to enjoy my days to the fullest. Inner strength, gusto and divine inspiration when I need it most. Human connection, true friendship and my biggest dreams realized. Belly laughs, carefree cavorting & miracles a plenty. And of course, at the very top of the list is health. 100% VIBRANT, ROBUST, GLOWING HEALTH.

These are the things I lay in bed at night and think about. Long for. Ache for. My Ultimate Birthday Wish, is to know all of these things in vivid colour. To live fully. To live freely. To feel alive.

Housebound, sadness always descended when my birthday approached, total FOMO. But now, wiser because of my experiences, I reflect on the meaning of the day in new ways. My birthday, is the anniversary of the first day I arrived on this planet. The moment I began my journey.
I may have navigated my fair share of suffering & challenges, but that doesn’t have to define me or my journey. The anniversary of my birth is a day to remember my victories of the past and my hopes for tomorrow. A brill opportunity to give thanks. Deep thanks.

Each birthday is significant. Not just because of fancy parties and elaborate cakes, but because when you walk a pathway which stretches you and tests you, each year IS a milestone and EACH birthday IS a REBIRTH.

So this year, I made a conscious decision to CREATE a birthday experience in alignment with my Ultimate Wish. I devised a list of milestones that would ignite and embody the priceless feelings and realities that I longed for. To BE apart of life. To FEEL alive.

Hugs, haircuts, dance moves & more … my #amazingbirthdayweek has certainly delivered.
These last few days have shown me, that even though circumstances may seem ripe with limitation and no-can-do attitude, it is STILL possible to glimpse the vivid colours of life and to feel the warmth of their many blessings. My Ultimate Birthday Wish, is no longer an elusive, unattainable dream, but a reality, that I have now held in both hands. A world, I have now personally seen.

 

 

 

P.S

Have you been following all the fun of #amazingbirthdayweek on Social Media?
Pop on over to FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM to check all the deets/pics & videos.
Here’s a mashup of some pics bellow. A BIG thank you to EVERYONE for making my birthday one to remember!