i am completely exhausted after a full two days worth of celebration. i am just so thankful for all the small blessings in life that are offered and surprise me. i can safely say that all i ever needed in life is now mine. that everything i’ve ever wished for this particular birthday is mine. i am enriched by my poverty because it is always amplified to me the things i don’t have in life and have done without. it is because God is always in my life taking away things that drive me to seek with the creative eye what has always been there to strengthen all my manageable weaknesses.
i typically write about 7 awesome things this week, but i would like to profess all 24 things for the festiveness that is new life.

1. i am humbled by my prayer this week with God. coming close to tears for the presence of a greater spirit brings me back peace and direction. i am eternally grateful for a chance to live.
2. a week before my birthday, my boyfriend bought me Adrian Tomine’s zine collection. seeing his development as a writer in self publishing and his advancement in sequential art by pure will is inspirational and tangible. it is a new reference i will treasure.
3. facebook greetings reminded me of how many lives i’ve crossed in this lifetime. i am thrilled that they wrote me even if it was few seconds to type those happy birthday words. they are still part of my day.
4. being lectured by people about celebrating. i just wanted it to be quiet and real nonchalant. but they insisted to realize that being young is a beautiful thing. (namely claire maulit and people at work)
5. receiving a work birthday card on tuesday at the end of the day. i was sleepy and stressed about birthday plans. but my day job closed on a high note.
6. my workout buddies took me out to lunch and i got to sit and here the lives of very loving women over other people that they love. i can only hope to strive with such a caring attitude. it was nice to laugh it out for once instead of sweating it out.
7. i didn’t lose any weight this week but didn’t gain either. then i took the gift money to buy a food journal so i could keep better track of what i eat. just trying to get back into good habits.
8. got cheesecake from carol white in aerobics class. it was yummy.
9. bought myself a box of sees chocolate to share with my boyfriend on monday.
10. went to a nice korean bbq place with my family and hungry creators. it was funny when coy got upset that jeddah mentioned donuts because he was so full. jeddah really meant spinning my car as a donut.
11. talking to my beloved roomie chris lee wesley on skype. he thought i was naked since i was in a tube dress. realllll funny. i am glad that he’s moving back.
12. meeting the amazing and talented sarah flake. she is a visionary artist with many creative avenues. to be in her presence was not only a pleasure but probably historic.
13. when that man at the gas station opened the door for me on wednesday at the gas station. very polite plus i was super sore from working out. any sudden movements prove to hurt my arms.
14. my boyfriend’s wrapping paper of my us at jimmy john’s restaurant. claire took that picture and we are hunching like goofballs in our first year of dating. it’s nice to know he can still surprise me with my favorite part of getting gifts. just by seeing the wrapped package.
15. being tricked by gilda on surprising me. she is a master at a poker face. if it wasn’t for her, coy wouldn’t be able to smoothly serve me cookie cake. i thought we were literally getting smoothies, dane was stranded, and coy was pooping. lol.
16. getting full blown comic bristol paper to draft the second issue from jeddah and gilda. they helped me kick start this career and are still aiding in my success.
17. coy getting the book PAYING FOR IT by CHESTER BROWN. it’s about a client to working girls with honest discourse about the thought process on the subject matter. such a good book.
18. TEELA…watching a drag show, nsync duet AND having a buzzed breakfast with teela. we got to have a cute waiter named bryan ryan the lion. it was a good laugh with her, the waiter, and her friend will.it’s nice to goof off uninhibited.
19. getting nicely buzzed tuesday night with my brother at nu sanctuary. we were surrounded by awesome jams from the 90’s by a pacific islander band. lead singer was fine as hell! then i walked back with my beloved boyfriend to the car with his very caring guidance i made it back home sound asleep.
20. eating at the fancy rio for wrin in honor of jan jones. it was nice getting dressed and mingling with old college friends. but most of all, i was moved by her speech to find confidence in oneself to trail blaze.
21. paddling on monday and seeing the view of the lake as the sun went down. i felt like my body was built for this and God couldn’t have made a prettier moment. we were huffing and puffing down this dirty lake and we turn back with our sore arms at the pink lit sky.
22. sitting with this lawyer jeff who was genuinely talking to me about stand up comedians, comics, and guam. he paid for my drink. he shared with me his life as a fresh grad that moved to japan on a whim. he survived all 11 years by learning the language, falling in love, and coming back strong to face law school. he has my respect. i was lucky to sit with one of the most interesting people at the table.
23. going to the post office and getting this huge book of old school comics from kristine leigh bactad. a virgo who is in tune with all that embodies me as a virgo. i value her friendship and intuition. it is a perfect gift that brings me all of my old favorites growing up on the comics page of the pacific daily newspaper.
24. i went to my parents house after class. only my dad and grandma were home. i went to pick up my gift from my dad. then i open the envelope in the kitchen and its a beautiful card that is lengthy about daughters. at the bottom of the card is an apology to me from my dad. i choke on tears. i hug and kiss him and he is choking on tears too. i hug my grandma who is also choking on tears. i know that i came from these people at the way we treat out emotions. i quickly leave the house to head to the post office and burst out in tears in my car. i got exactly what i wanted for my birthday. i got kindness. i was filled with so much happiness i could break open and spill out my soul.