El final del cuarenta!!!

And that's what mattered again this year :)  The ones who never forget will never be forgotten!

PS : How can I not mention the ChatGPT poem with the minutest of details?  Snore??? more like Grrrrrr...... 😡😂

The AI infused Birthday :)

On this day, I'm brimming with joy and a heart full of thanks. To my amazing friends, who never forget and always make my birthday special, I dedicate this post.

The years may fly by, but some friendships remain a constant. The warm wishes, whether penned in heartfelt messages, voiced in heartfelt greetings, or woven into unique poems (thanks to ChatGPT), have painted my day with vibrant colors.

Thank you for taking the time to celebrate with me, even from afar. This year again, my birthday was not just a day, it was a testament to the enduring power of friendship. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

May laughter continue to echo through the years, and friendship blooms with each passing season.

And it’s a wrap…

A busy day at work interspersed with wishes and laughs.

A good reminder to continue my travels and stop focusing on things that are beyond my control. Here’s to seeing more of this wonderful world!

An evening to remember…

Old is Gold!

In keeping with the tradition, a day spent connecting with family and friends around the world.  Simple truth be told, old truly is gold!  It's the folks that I have known for several years & decades that always take the time to reach out and send their good wishes and blessings.

A special callout to Leens for the good wishes & prayer, which made me emotional.  That is a voice recording I will save for the rest of my life.  Some of the special artwork that were made have made it to my permanent collection.

Love to all the special people in my life.  May God bless you with health and happiness always.

Tears are not always bad

Loads of wishes, conversations, virtual celebrations, food deliveries, gifts, start of a new hobby.... the day was jam packed while in quarantine.

Special people are ones who make you feel special. I am truly blessed to have a few who made the day super enjoyable.

Thanks to everyone who reached out with a hearty wish. Every single wish brightened my day.

As I reminisced the lovely moments of the day, tears were all that was left.

Little else will matter.

On joy and sorrow

Amidst the many happy moments through the day, my thoughts were with the ones who braved through a tough time yet, made me feel loved.

Count every blessing everyday. There are many blessings that I am grateful for. Thank you for the love and laughs.

On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. 

A year wiser

Some things are hard to write about. After something happens to you, you go to write it down, and either you over dramatize it, or underplay it, exaggerate the wrong parts or ignore the important ones. At any rate, you never write it quite the way you want to.  It is beautiful to express love and even more beautiful to feel it. 

I’m choosing to leave the words this year because I may not have the eloquence to express my real feelings today.

Thank you for making my day special!

The birthday record

How beautiful, to find a heart that loves you, without asking you for anything, but to be okay.

- Khalil Gibran

My 5th of Dec was filled with many such hearts :)

The Big One!

I did not want to break a self created tradition.  So here is the birthday blog!

This year has been so incredible in so many ways that I am not going to elaborate.  All I can say is I had the best weekend of my life.  Everyone who made it this special, I bow to you for loving me unconditionally and for being part of my life.  All the songs from the video in which I ‘starred’ are playing in my mind as I write this.

What I did not expect as I got into this weekend is how bummed I would feel on Sunday when the celebrations came to an end.  The real celebration was indeed the people who were part of it (both in-person & virtual) and I missed everyone as they began to go back to their lives.

Well, until the next celebration and we all know that we don’t need a reason to celebrate because life is awesome with family and friends around.  And….. I got the best bunch of both.

Cheers!!!

For those who make a difference in my life

It's a day when the dearest of people make me realize how lucky I am to have them as part of my life.

Work engulfed the entire day but the wishes that kept coming made things easy.

I want to log a very special wish that came my way from a business associate, which represents the true meaning of a birthday celebration - "Happy Birthday, Arun! Call your mother first today and thank her..Mom's the one who did all the work to get us in the world....My wife reminded me of that. Hope you have a great day."

I thank my family and friends who always make me feel special and wish me well.

Love is all around me.....

One more year, a 'surprise' cake cutting, gifts, bunch of wishes.  Does it get monotonous? Hell NO.

The true surprise this year was from my colleagues and well wishers in Killeen. A big shout out to Coree, Loia, Chloe and the Amex team. You guys made my week special.  How can I forget Jullie for the yummiest cup cakes? Rumz, Vidu, Bebzi, Aileen and Rich for making the evening fun filled and naughty ;) Gotta love technology !

Every call I got was special. Whether it was the Its or the Hoooooooooo or the Nahiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin, I laughed my guts out or smiled away to glory - Ladybird, Lexus, Doc, CD, RK, Chanda, Markus, Sheebs, Leens, Nils, Tif Taf, Yash. The string of messages on Facebook and chats on Whatsapp, each one I cherish.

The special birthday song from the team, the super cool dance of Chung. What more can one ask for?

It's all of you who make life a lot more meaningful and cheerful. Thank you for making me feel special on my birthday.

It's a tradition !

A wonderful birthday filled with great food, laughter, surprises, good wishes and not to forget, hectic work.

I laughed my heart out after a real long time talking about good ole times with dear dear friends. Less said the better about the wonder of technology that aided in connecting with family and friends across the globe.

As I write this, a bunch of sweet messages pass thru my mind. Every single one has been special in its own way.

The day started with this song playing in my car as I drove to work. What an awesome way to cherish the journey of life :)

"Thodi Si Meethi Hai
Zara Si Mirchi Hai
Sau Gram Zindagi Yeh
Sambhaal Ke Kharchi Hai"

Thank you all for making this day so special and memorable.

Keeping it short

Another year gone by and I keep up the tradition of writing a note here. Want to keep it real short as the sentiments expressed over the last few years remain. Being remembered by family n friends, near n far is the best gift one can receive. Feel blessed ! Thank you for the warm, loving wishes that poured in throughout the day. Special thanks to the ones who made my day a fantabulous one ! Love and peace !

Keeping up with the tradition

Another Birthday Blog just to ensure that the tradition is not broken.

2010 birthday celebrations started a day early with a friend celebrating her birthday. So we decided to share both the days as part of our 2-day long celebration.

Lots and lots and lots of good wishes from family, childhood friends, school mates, Park, AOL and the Aegis gang poured in, and continue to as I write this. Spent hours on the phone catching up with friends who took time out to call. Facebook obviously topped the charts on the wishes front.

Thank you Rumz, Sarah, Iyer, Jess, Phani n Nasheer for the awesome gifts and for the nice evenings at Nylo, Mayuri n India West.

Thanks to all of you who made my birthday a memorable and enjoyable one. Every wish that came in made me smile and the day was filled with countless smiles.

It feels kick@ss to be remembered by so many people and I begin a new year feeling GREAT !

Ps : Proffy..... if you are reading this, you know who the call was from ;)

Counting my blessings.....

It’s that day of the year and am back here. I am contemplating on changing the name of my blog to ‘The Birthday Blog’, considering this being the only time I actually return :D

“It’s a nice feeling when someone thinks about you, but it feels much better when you know that someone can never forget your birthday”

Dec 5, 2009 has been a birthday with a lot of difference and excitement. Am still away from home, family and friends. Yet, being in Irving made a lot of difference. My friends here organized a midnite cake cutting and out came the awesome gift – a super smart long-coat, right for my winter travels J.

It definitely is the longest birthday I have celebrated till date. My birthday started at 1230 pm Central time on 4^th December, when friends from India called to wish me at midnite, Indian time. Its 1000 am here on the 5^th, and I have the whole day ahead making it a 36 hour birthday. Wow, I am doubly blessed J

The day has been filled with phone calls, text messages and most importantly Facebook posts with a lot of good wishes piling on ‘my wall’. A deep sense of happiness and content has been working on my facial muscles and that perpetual smile prevails thru the day.

MM, Patti, Funny, Rumzz – If you are reading this, here is a big thank you for making my day.

Gundu – For being my Birthday Bud and making that first call to wish me

And to all of you who remembered me today – its these small things that make life worth living. As I end this, I being to count my blessings again……..

(lyrics of ‘Count your blessings’ came to my mind)

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,

And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings—wealth can never buy

Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Another year... a lot brighter

Its that time of the year again, when I feel 21. And this year am away from home, family and friends. Doc (Darrin) is the only person known to me here in Philippines. We are in Cebu City now and I was at work at the stroke of midnite.

I dont want to blog about how I feel on my birthday.... its just a mirror image of what I wrote last year.

Am on top of the world..... counting my blessings ! And trust me, our Arithmetic system needs to be redone for me to accomplish this task.

This is a great day !!!

Looking at the Brighter Side !

Its the 5th of December. Certainly a year older but uncertain about being a year wiser ! That is big enough reason to make me not want to have a birthday. And over the years the number of gifts have consistently reduced :(

Yet, there is one reason that makes me look forward to this day every year. Its every special person who has managed to remember me on this day and has kept in touch to wish me the very best in life. It gives me more than an 'Absolut High' when friends who have been lost thru an entire year appear out of nowhere on this very day. And this number, to my luck, has consistently been on the rise :)

Dec 5, 2007 had its own bunch of surprises..... all pleasant ones. This, to me, is the essence of having a Wonderful Birthday !!!