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Birthday Surprise

It's my birthday today (when I wrote this). Yeah, yeah, happy birthday to me, I get it. Thanks!

Though, it's not the story I came to tell this time.

What I thought was gonna be another regular family beach outing birthday is really not the case this time around. Well, we still went for the usual family beach outing, but something was different this time.

Today was when my parents – my mom actually, directly and indirectly told me that they've always appreciated me not asking for a lot after I got over that childish phase when all I wanted was toys, toys and more toys. Indirectly because it wasn't face to face, but it was also directly because she told me via facebook, she also tagged me – the usual.

I can't even begin to describe the happiness I felt when I read the entire thing. It made me read it twice. That's how heart warming the message was, and if you know me, I never read anything twice unless, 1. I didn't understand what I've just read, or 2. I really loved what I've just read.

It's true what she said, there were tons of opportunities that they've asked me for something that I wanted, from when I stopped wanting toys as a kid up until now. I didn't made a peep as to what I wanted. Sure I wanted tons of things but I chose not to ask for them because I always thought I was already a burden to them being their child – not living up to their expectations academically wise, psychologically wise and being a child in general, so I've decided not to ask for anything I wanted, as much as possible, because I thought it was the least I could do to repay them at that time.

Now that they're not paying for my tuition, they'll be lifted from more burdens from me. That is, until I move out, then they'll be burden free from me from then on there.

I know what I did wasn't much for some people, because I've heard stories where, when they were kids they pushed themselves through college by being scholars, striving for good grades just to lessen the fees to pay for schools and some went to the urban area from their rural place – which was their home – to get a job and continue studying. I know people with these kinds of stories to tell, but that's not what I did. It's really a big thing, if you really look at it, compared to what I've done, but to me it was my biggest sacrifice, it really felt like it – to give up things you wanted just for your parents to save that extra money that they should've used to buy something that I wanted –I also know a lot of kids do this because their parents don't have much to give as compared to what my parents can, but we're not that well off either, just in between.

My point it, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and this was mine.

To be able to be recognized and appreciated by my parents, or my mom for that fact, for something that I secretly did, or for something that I did but didn't really shout it out or told them what I did really just gives me so much content and happiness beyond what I've imagined. It was truly a great birthday surprise yet, which I will surely remember for more years to come.