On Coincidences

Celebrated my 29th birthday today with family, and like everyone else born on New Year's Day, celebrated with the rest of the world.

I used to hate being born on a holiday because it takes away the spotlight from me (lol). Not to mention the hassle of places being closed. Everyone is also busy with their families for the holidays so birthday parties are hard to execute. But over the years, through countless new year's eve parties spend with family and friends (and strangers), made me appreciate New Year's eve and the beauty of waiting for the new year. People are super optimistic and hopeful! Memories are made with loved ones while people reconnect with lost friends and families. The internet is filled with holiday greetings and essays about welcoming the year with a new heart and a stronger mind.

Celebrating new year's with the rest of the world and watching everyone cheer for the year ahead made me realize how lucky I am to be born on this day. To see the joy in the new year and to be in the middle of all that ruckus. It sounds so cheesy I know but there is beauty seeing the world so happy and contented. We all know how much we need that nowadays.

Something I also learned this past year is how there is no such thing as coincidences. As human beings, there is a general desire to find meaning and all we are given are signs and symbols so we make use of it. I find that coincidences are not coincidences and are actually guiding lights for what our purpose is here on earth.

So, there is no coincidence in me being born on the first day of the year. I also find it no coincidence that I was named Joy. I loathed it for the longest time and now for my 29th birthday, I find it a funny answer to most of my questions in life.

Happy new year, folks!

“We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting”

― Khalil Gibran