Turning 20

First of all, my heartiest thanks to those who wished me for my birthday. Thank you for actually spending 10 cents to send text message to me, thank you for actually spending a minute or two of your precious time just to post a 'Birthday Wish' on my facebook wall. Thank you all! I will not delete you guys from facebook. Hahahah. :P

I wrote this on the 14th of October. Intended to post this on the day itself but ahha, unluckily and unfortunately, the internet connection sucks! Biasalah, internet free. :P

So, here it goes.

Yesterday is the 13th of October. The day before yesterday is the 12th of October. The day before yesterday is my uncle’s 35th birthday and yesterday is my cousin’s 19th birthday and another cousin’s 10h birthday. Days before that, on 8th of October, is one of my good friends’ birthday and the day before…Ok, stop!

Today is the 14th of October 2010. Which marks my birthday, which also sadly marks that it has been six months that my late grandmother left us to meet her Creator on the 14th of April 2010. Al-Fatihah to her.

In a few minutes, at around 10 pm, my age will officially be 20. Yes, the big TWO-oh. No more the word ‘teen’ in my age. I’m an ADULT!

It means, the Earth did 20 complete rotations since the year I was born, which is in 1990.

I would like to attribute my existence in this world for 20 years to Allah and my parents. Without them, I will never be able to live for 20 years on this Earth.

For twenty years, my heart has been beating continuously without rest, and for twenty years, I have been living on Allah’s earth and breathing the air that He provides me.

Twenty years ago, Allah has created me, decided that I am worthy enough to live on Earth and faces his tests and challenges, thus blowing His soul into me and sent me to live on this Earth. I was born as a healthy, normal baby. Allah the most gracious and merciful has placed me to be in a warm, compassionate family with loving parents. What’s more, I was born to Muslim parents. Alhamdulillah.

My parents doted on me, providing me with emotional and financial support. I never had to experience hunger and poverty as some unfortunate people do. As soon as I was brought into this world, my parents took care of me and Allah watches me, his creation, tenderly and lovingly as I grow up until now.

It’s like the scenario of a mother who has given her child to be taken care by childless parents. Sometimes, she would watch from afar as her child grows up.

>Of course, truly, we come from Allah. That is why; a child is an amanah from Allah to the parents. If the parents abuse their children, Allah will take back the children from them. Allah loves us, His creations; surely he wouldn’t want to see us being mistreated.

Alhamdulillah, my parents love me very much and I love them too.

For twenty years, I have been committing sins, by not adhering to some of His rules and yet He still loves me, still permitting the oxygen to diffuse into my lungs, still allowing my heart to beat, and still giving me good health.

What’s more, He even bestows me with so many goodness and blessings that is in fact, uncountable. I couldn’t list all of them all. It is impossible. Allah has given me wonderful lots of birthday gifts each year.

Alhamdulillah, thank you Allah.

I survived in this temporary world for twenty years because He guides me and blesses me with love and care.

I survived a day of sadness and depression because I know He will give me a day of happiness and elation on the next day.

I survived because of him. I live because of him. I was created by Him.

I will try my best to please you in everything that I do. Please forgive me for all my sins. Thank you Allah.

And as for my parents, thank you for taking really good care of me all this while. To my mother, I’m really sorry that you have to bear immense pain to bring me out to this world. I’ll try my best to make you and dad happy for the rest of your life.

Mom, thank you for taking care of yourself during your pregnancy so that I will come out of the womb normal and healthy.

Dad, thank you for getting a financially stable job and thus providing me a roof over my head and for buying all the things that I want.

Thank you for giving me food to eat, to never ever let me starve even for once. Thank you for bringing me up well. Thank you for teaching me how to talk, read, write. Now I couldn’t stop doing those three things *laugh*.

Thank you for providing me with education, for sending me to school, for all the money and efforts that you have spent on me.

I am really really immensely sorry that I might have hurt your feelings, especially during the rebellious early teenage years. It’s not me, it’s the hormones. *laugh again*.

I’m sorry for giving you troubles throughout twenty years spent in this world.

Thanks for giving me support all these while. For support and care are the two things that all children would want from their parents. And you have given me that.

I do not wish for any presents, for you and my siblings are my birthday presents each year. The wonderful gifts from Allah Himself!

Thank you for taking care of me for twenty years. And please continue to take care of me. Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!

Thank you for giving me siblings who become my first best friends and buddies. Thank you. I don’t want to be the only child in the family.

There are impossibly so much things, list of thanks to be written here. For you two have done so much good to me and I’m eternally grateful.

The transition states from childhood to adulthood had been excruciatingly painful, emotionally and physically. It is hard, difficult and yet, wonderful at the same time. It’s because I have Allah, family, friends and teachers who helped me along the way.

Ten years ago, I was ten. Surely the 10 years old Sarah back then is really different from the Sarah 10 years later.

I’ve developed physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually over the twenty years.

For each passing years, for each passing moment, I’ll try and hope and pray to become a better person than I am before. Insya-Allah.

Again, thank you Allah. Thank you for always being there for me.

The clock strikes 12. Happy 20th Birthday, Sarah!