Paris Tries: A Birthday to Remember

Hi Friends!!

How was your weekend/week?!

Sorry, that I've been MIA. My birthday weekend/birthday were amazing and exhausting! But before I get into all of the details, let me start by saying that my 30th birthday has been one of the very best birthdays of my life. I was NOT looking forward to turning 30 for a number of reason: (1) my mom passed away when I was 20 and I had dreaded my 30th birthday ever since because I knew that when I turned 30, it would mean that I had lived almost a whole decade without my mom, (2) 30 simply felt old and I feared that all of a sudden I'd turn into some old fart with no youthful sass (little secret, I'm still youthfully sassy as ever), and (3) my past few birthday have been not so good and I was not looking forward to another not so good birthday.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong about turning 30. It was simply amazing!!

First of all, Dr. Love, my brother, my aunt, and my mother-in-law planned a really wonderful surprise party for me that went down last Friday night. I can't say that I was totally surprised when everyone yelled "Surprise!!," because I had some "clues." For one, Dr. Love told me early last month that he'd plan something and that I needn't bother with planning anything myself, but he never followed up with a fake plan, leaving me to believe that either nothing was going on (impossible) or something awesome was being planned behind the scenes. Second hint, and this is a big one, my brother accidentally sent me an invite on Facebook to my own surprise party. Yes, I'm serious. My technologically super-star bro made a tech booboo. I did not dare open the invitation, but the title already gave me enough information to know something was up. And if that was not enough, my aunt essentially avoided me the entire weekend I was home a couple of weeks ago. Our conversations consisted of hellos, can you believe this weather, and useless commentary about a Lifetime movie we watched together. It was awkward, and out of character, to say the least.

So, when I got to the restaurant/lounge where my surprise party was at, I can't say I wasn't expecting a little shindig. But I can honestly say that I had no idea that so many people that I love would be there, that the ambiance would be so perfect, and that my heart would be filled with such happiness and excitement. It was, in one word, perfection.

As I walked into the room full of my loved ones wearing their brightest smiles and cutest threads, I couldn't help but shed a tear. It was truly awesome. And overwhelming. I was literally shaking with joy for hours. As if that wasn't enough awesomeness, my best friend of 27 years had also flown in from Chicago to help me celebrate.

I couldn't help but feel so so special and to acknowledge what a special night it was. I could feel my mom's presence. She must have been there, for the love in that room was absolutely divine. I was reminded of how many times my mom told my brother and I to choose our friends very carefully and to choose them on the basis of their loyalty, honesty, and kindness. On my 30th birthday, surrounded by my friends and family, I felt my mom's spirit beaming with pride from the knowledge that I had indeed chosen the very best of friends.

And these wonderful friends and family did not disappoint. I was not only showered with AMAZING gifts, but also a whole weekend of love and laughter. It was a birthday that I will never forget. A birthday to remember...