Special Thursday Edition!
On the second day of my 33rd turn around the sun, I've realized something quite important: I have a superpower.
And my superpower is my people. It is the people and the communities in my life that have helped me accomplish things I never dreamed about. It is my people (you people!) that give me a buoyancy in life and keeps me feeling like I can weather any storm that may come. My communities simultaneously keep me rooted and grounded while also fostering growth that brings me closer to the sun. My family has provided me with an emotional, social, moral and cultural foundation that feels invincible, though I know that I, personally, am anything but. My friends have seen me through my most awkward phases and hardest stumbles. My friends and then some have been in my life for doses of proper revelry and celebration. The people in my life keep me sharp, curious, generous, informed, grounded, and a great many other things. These are tremendous gifts. I seek to always honor and reciprocate them.
I'm still making my way through all the birthday messages while some are continuing to trickle in. I am, in the most literal sense, overwhelmed by all the love, birthday greetings, and well wishes. My most sincere thanks and my highest levels of gratitude for the people I'm blessed to have in my life. This is why I love my birthday so much. It's not the attention because, truth be told, attention in any quantity makes me uncomfortable. I love my birthday because it is a reminder of the incredible parents that made me, the siblings that support me, the friends who know me deeply, and the communities that uplift me.
I'm beyond hashtag-blessed-in-a-non-ironic-way to know some of the most brilliant, kind, magnanimous and like-spirited humans in the world today. I can't emphasize enough how grateful I am for the great fortune that is the folks in my life.
So for all of you who took time out of your busy days to think of me, salamat. And this one's for you. Because of the superlative people in my life, "no one's gonna bring me down. Oh no. Till I reach my highest ground." I can't wait to see what this next turn will bring, and to share whatever treasures may come with my people.
