Dear Charlie,

Today I write a letter because it’s my birthday. Yes, I’m writing to you a birthday letter. I used to write one to myself but I guess this year I’m gonna write to you instead.

You know Charlie, time loves to trick us. A year can be so fast like yesterday yet feels like so long. I was washing the dishes yesterday when I realized that I would be 22 years old today and I thought, ‘man, that’s fast’, I tried to remember things and I remembered the time when me and my friends were busy doing our bachelor-thesis and I asked myself when was it. I was surprised with the answer; it was only less than a year, yet it feels like a long time ago. Do you get it now, how time tricks our mind in believing things?

Another thing that time does to us is the way we think. I don’t think it’s the time, I think it’s the accumulation of what had happened to us in the past, but I still wanna blame time for it. I mean, when I turn 20, 2 years ago, I was anticipating of what would happen to me that day. I made myself to feel special, I did think that when I woke up, there would be a strike of light from the sky marking that I was no longer a teenager. Or when I turned 21 last year, even though the feeling disappeared a little, I still believe that my birthday was special; once in every year, 19 was a special number, and I was the spotlight. But this year I realize that, birthday is just another day. It’s an official day of the change in your age. Nothing more.

But I am really thankful with the overflowing messages and prayers from family and friends, I feel really loved. And even the ones that don’t send anything, I believe that they still care/ love me in their own ways. The happiest feeling is that I woke up with messages, wishes and prayers from people that I categorized as ‘favorite people’ just like what I believed before I slept last night. I know that these people are the ones that gonna wake me up with their messages and precise prayers and they did and that’s what matter. 

And tonight, though with less people than last year, my favorite people on earth somehow managed to surprise me. I was just so glad to see their faces. I am happy and I hope you do too.

Love always,

The birthday girl, Fida.