So I turned 23 last Monday… and as you might have guessed, I got a lot of “Happy birthday” wishes.

Lately, I’ve been curious about the real meaning of that phrase and how it became a thing. I’m not sure if it is intended to convey its literal meaning of being happy on your birthday (probably not the case as “belated happy birthday” wishes, which often come after the birthday, would be invalid). Or maybe it is meant to connote well wishes for the year ahead. It’s most likely the latter.

I did have a happy birthday: I aced an exam, had a surprise party afterward, and received a ton of love from friends and family. It doesn’t get much happier than that –well, maybe except for my 10th birthday.

That one stands out for many reasons, and I recall the memories with so much fondness. My age was finally in double digits, and I was super ecstatic about hitting the big 10. I guess I wasn’t the only one excited about it, as my parents went behind my back to organize a grand surprise birthday party to celebrate this milestone.

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Storytime

My 10th birthday fell on a Saturday, and I was to mark it away from home. It was my first year in high school (JSS1 in the Nigerian education system), and I attended a private boarding school within my city of residence. I had wished and hoped that the Christmas holiday would extend until after my birthday, but it wasn’t to be. The holiday ended early, and we were required to return to school the weekend before.

The birthday came, and I woke up that morning with mixed feelings —I was quite excited to be 10, but I was a little bit sad I wasn’t home with my family on that day. The cold harmattan wind whistled through the air as it blew against the trees, and I set out to do my laundry thinking it was just going to be another regular Saturday at school. Unknown to me, my parents had other plans.

Halfway through my laundry, I got tidings that the principal wanted to see me in his office urgently. I asked why, and the person who delivered the message said they had no idea. Knowing how strict my principal was, I started rummaging my head for possible offenses I might be guilty of to warrant such summoning. Nothing came to mind.

Confused, I packed up my unfinished laundry and set off for the principal’s office. When I got there, I met my dad sitting in his office, and my confusion heightened. “Why was my dad in school? He didn’t inform me about his arrival. It wasn’t visiting day, and I just resumed the week before. Did the Principal call him because I had done something bad?”

Just then, the principal’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and he told me to go pack up my stuff as I would be following my dad home. He kept a serious face that made me really wonder what I had done wrong (apparently, he was in on the surprise). More questions ran through my head. “Was I suspended? Was I owing fees? Was there trouble at home?” At that point, I had forgotten it was my birthday.

I packed up and got in the car with my dad. All my probing questions about why he came to school were met with, “don’t worry, you’ll find out when we get home”. I kept my cool and held my curiosity throughout the ride. We arrived home in no time, and my house was bustling with activities. The moment I stepped into my house, I instantly figured out what was going on. I was having a birthday party!

Birthday parties weren’t really a thing in my household. I mean, we usually marked our birthdays by singing for the celebrant after the family’s devotion, and maybe have a special dinner in the evening, and that was about it. So you can imagine how overwhelmed my 10-year-old self was when I realized I was having a surprise birthday party.

The cake was ready, the party ground was set, the MC was present, and guests were beginning to trickle in already. Not long after, I was handed a brand new suit for the occasion. I couldn’t contain my joy. The outfit was a bit oversized (as was almost every outfit my parents got me as a kid), but it didn’t matter much. My excitement filled up the extra space.

One by one, my best buddies began to arrive with their parents. I was pleased to see them, and I was also surprised at some of the invitees. The party soon kicked off, and it was a blast! I relished every bit of it —so much so that I still have vivid mental pictures of certain moments from the occasion.

After the main event, I spent the rest of the evening hanging out with my friends until they had to leave with their folks. It definitely counts as one of the best days of my life (so far). The next day, my dad dropped me off at school with a lot of goodies —enough to share amongst my friends and still have some for myself. Of course, the principal got some as well. Lol.

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Birthday Shenanigans

13 years later, and it’s probably still my happiest birthday yet. Most of my birthdays are “happy”, but not all. I’ve had a few where it was just like every other day, and maybe one or two sad birthdays as well —notably my 17th. It was the climax of a not-so-good year (2015), and I spent the whole day wondering what I was doing with my life. To add salt to the injury, I accidentally cracked my phone’s screen on the same day. I left home for school the next day, which turned out to be the “reset” I needed.

They say “age is just a number”, but to be honest, 23 got me feeling really old. Actually, every new age since I turned 18 has me feeling this way, but this time it’s different (or maybe not). I recently realized that I hadn’t planned for this stage of my life.

All my projections as a kid didn’t reflect this phase. I had planned to graduate from medical school at 22 (well, I graduated at 22, but not from med school), and I wasn’t sure what would happen after that. As it stands, I’m still not sure what comes after now, which makes me a bit nervous.

The uncertainty also makes me excited, though. I see it as a blank page to be inscribed upon, another opportunity to grow, another chapter to explore. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future, and that’s where my confidence lies.

I’m pumped for 23 and can’t wait to uncover all the great things ahead.

To growth!🥂