Another Birthday of Mine

8 Dhu'l-Hijjah, 2 days before 10 Dhu'l-Hijjah a.k.a. the Idul Adha day, was my birthday according to the Arab calendar. I didn't notice the date until my Mom rang and reminded me. It was a blessing to be able to celebrate my 31st birthday. Compared to the Gregorian calendar, the Arab calendar is 11 days shorter each year. I am 30 years old according to the Gregorian calendar, which means there are 330 days gap between my birthday in Gregorian and Arab Calendar. 

Let me share what I did on my 31st birthday. So I had a fun date with my boyfriend. Early in the morning, he woke me up by phone. As usual, he recalled my first impression after waking up. I would buzz like a bee and he knew it was a complaint of why I had to wake up in the morning, especially on the weekend. He told me that he would pick me up for a date. He asked me to dress nicely but also casually. 

With my eyes half closed, I showed him the green maxi dress I would wear. It was approved by him and the next duty I should do was choosing the slippers. I stated that I would wear a pair of boots which made him respond instantly in a joke, "Are you going for Indonesian military training?" Long story short, he picked me up at 8 a.m. He surprised me by wearing the top with the same color, but it was lighter, baby green. Awn baby, the cuteness was overloaded. 

He drove me to stroll around his house, showing me the neighborhood and the sports center which provides a swimming pool. We also went for groceries buying fruits, eggs, almond milk, bread, beef sausages, and many more. Then, we headed to a restaurant for a brunch. He took me to a restaurant that served nasi Padang. By the way, nasi Padang is his comfort food in Indonesia. He's a picky eater but could not say no to it. He ended up eating a lot. The food was awesome and we hopped to another restaurant to enjoy the Saturday morning by eating ice cream while discussing our next plans. 

I did not let him know that it was my birthday until he took me home and my Mom made a phone call. It was just last night I informed him. He proudly said it was a divine time to take me on a morning date on my special day. The convos continued with him inquiring a question about how he helped me to improve a lot in the last 6 months. He encouraged me to prepare my daily meals by myself, eat fruits every day, wash the dishes right away after cooking, make the bed look sexy and inviting, dress better and more elegant, be more confident, complain less about unpleasant moments, let go of unused things, communicate with clear intention, I rarely stayed up late, and many more. I admit I have become a better version of myself ever since. I thank Allah for sending him into my life. It aligns with the self-discipline value I need to achieve. 

Anyway on our way home, he sang me a song in his mother tongue. He attempted to explain each line of the lyrics while rhyming. I remembered several parts: 'It was not possible to separate a monkey from a tree..., ...he tried his best to detach from the girl but his heart is attached to the girl'. I asked him what song it was but he did not want to reveal it. He asked me to patiently wait until the next meeting. Bebe K, I will see you very soon. Even when your mood will not be OK later, you still need to spill the tea. When the time is right, it will come. Insya Allah.