My birthday happened nearly two weeks ago, but I wanted to
highlight how perfect it was. And by highlight, I don’t mean in the bragging,
look-at-me -it’s-my-birthday sort of way, but in the way where the smallest
things, friends and family, made me happiest on the day that is supposedly
“mine.”
The day started off like a typical California morning, with
sunshine streaming through the glass panes into our family room. Dad was off
working, Mom was sleeping in while Colin was likely doing the same. I had the
golden ladies all to myself (or was it that they had me all to myself?).
Inevitably, Mom awoke and had me and the brother clean the house, get drinks,
and finish up all the little things to make the party off right.
But in the afternoon, when everything was readied, four of
my closest friends came over, three of them from Colby.
At this point, I wouldn’t be able to describe everything
that we talked about (though I could tell you some of the subjects covered:
Cal/Stanford, baseball, how Isaac always shows up in a Stanford shirt, etc.),
but we talked, played die, drank some beer, ate some dinner and some cake.
Mostly, there were smiles and laughter. Sheer perfection, in the California
sun.
I can’t quite tell you where I will end up in life, quite
specifically what I will be doing (though, I do have a greater idea for that
one), but I do know that I want to be surrounded by you all and family.
The difficult part, of course, is that we’ll all be spread
out, doing our things, with families/spouses/children/pets. Connections and
meet-ups will undoubtedly be more difficult and severely planned (a la Tahoe).
But this is still a resolve that I’ve had from graduating Colby: that I want
all of you in my life as much as possible.
And maybe that’s why days like August 12th, 2012,
will be forever held in my memory. Because of the simplistic perfection in
being with and around my closest friends makes me the happiest.
