Let me share with you a different perspective of how these GEMS celebrated my birthday, instead of showing and talking about food, I will talk about these individuals instead, though I will still add in some food photos because they were just delicious (or maybe not)! And I have to credit my dear friend, @michelleloh168 for her thorough research, coming up with a list of options for me to choose from, which in all honestly made my life so much easier, because the "what do you want to eat" question is the toughest question to be asked. Good thing, I am an easy person to satisfy as my preference for food is quite wide. From the extensive list, I chose an Italian restaurant called Positano located at Publika Shopping Mall, a mall that I rarely go to. It was an easy choice!
Us posing at the entrance of the restaurant with their logo
I have known these girls between 11 to 17 years, that is most of my young adult and adult life. Going through these tender years where we were all growing in finding and understanding who we are, dealing with many ladies' issues (internally), and yet at the same time moving along with the times and seasons that God placed us in, sticking together through thick and thin, the ugly, the bad, the sad, the happy, the ups are just some of the things we've gone through together.
2022 has been a tough year for me emotionally and mentally. Going through one of the toughest challenges since my mom's passing has stretched me beyond measure in so many ways. I owe it all to these 4 amazing, strong, loving, and prayerful women for being my strength, encourager, supporter, and comforter. As much as I am a very extroverted person, I am very much a private and low-key person when it comes to heart matters, and what I am going through. I don't like the attention and most of the time, I feel awkward. I tend to keep it all and just go through it on my own which has proven to be a failure on numerous accounts. I learned to reach out and allow some people to go through things with me.
To be honest, it is not my first preference to be open even to them. Nope, I do not like opening up, do not like talking about my feelings, do not like to feel weak and helpless, let alone, show my emotions ever so rawly and often. They helped me in so many ways, to be honest with myself, and I am so grateful that I do not have to always put up a show or an invisible mask with them even on my bad and emotional days. It's their simple gestures and care in their separate own ways that melt me and allows me to open up.
Let me introduce you to them, only 2/4 of them are in Ecency, @happycrazycon & @michelleloh168 while the other 2 aren't, Angie & Joanne. These 4 couldn't be any different from each other, in their personalities and all that however, what binds us all is the love for each other in Christ and having our priorities aligned as well. Friendships like this don't come by all the time and after going through so many incidences since high school with friendships, I now understand better what kinda friends I want to keep in my life. These 4, without a doubt!
Take some photos while waiting for our food to arrive
We had time together last Saturday to celebrate my birthday. It was a lot of fun because there's never a silent moment when we're together but an abundance of laughter. Took a lot of photos too! I guess, why not!
Thank you my dear GEMS for being such amazing people inside and out, not just to me but just you being you. I love you all for that! Thank you for the encouragement and support during this time too. I know, I am always reminded, I am not alone because I have you ❤️
As I reflect back, it's important to know that we cannot live and go through life alone. We always need people, and I am glad I have them.
Here are some silly photos!
Photobombing @happycrazycon and making her wrinkles show up! haha opss
Michelle: Hmm wow she's cutting a slice for me. Jo: super concentrated performing an operation on the pizza
hahahaha! Silly me doing this expression because of the cheese! While @michelleloh168 "err..what's going on" look
Very awkward when people are praying and someone is pointing the camera at me. I don't know what to do
Joanne in green was trying to do a jump shot, EPIC FAIL! She looks like Ironman just landed, but in green. HAHA! While Angie, she thinks she is so tall and big that we can see her! HAHA