Those two words above once depressed me to no end due to the context they were said in. But the outpouring of well-wishes from so many people more than made up for it.

My siblings wished me at the stroke of midnight… but they weren’t the first. KS wished me on Sunday, as he had forgotten exactly when it was.

My dad, stoic as always, left a hong bao on my desk before I woke up; he does this every year . My mother almost made me cry when she blessed me for the first time since I could remember.

There were messages and emails from three wonderful people now residing in Hanoi, from the amazing 15th Ex-Co, from past FOC committees, from CSA members whom I’ve worked with, from the Youth Council, of course from good friends who never fail to remember, from cousins who admittedly were pleasant surprises, from new friends who surprised me because I didn’t think they knew my birthdate, and most exciting of all, to hear from someone from JC who was worried my number had changed. My new presence on Facebook has also led to my ex-colleague wishing me, as well as the virtual drinks I received from others. And of course, Alf left a comment on the blog, and emailed me just in case I didn’t read it.

That’s not to mention the guys that surprised me last night at dinner with a slice of cake, as well as the lunch treat I had today from a friend.

It’s a humbling experience because, looking back, you realise that these are all people who have played their part in forming you into who you are and yet the realisation that you must have meant something to them as well makes you truly consider your place in the world. On the one hand, I do consider myself a selfish person (what is this post, if not tooting my own horn, after all), but actually receiving such a flood of kindness and genuine friendship really redeems myself in my own eyes. For if one person, you, can do so much for the people around you if you only tried, what a better place this world would become if everybody gave that much more of themselves.

Thank you, all.