The Greatest Gift A Guy Could Get

Dear Reader,

"Happy Birthday Luqman!"

Yeah. I've been hearing that a lot. In case you didn't know, my birthday passed by recently, on the 18th of July.
Got a lot of wishes. And a lot of gifts. ;)

Woo! Finally 15 baby! In your face!

Unlike last year, I didn't have a birthday party. Now I'm not complaining or anything, I'm just saying. Since it was on a Saturday, many wished me the day before. Even Tuck Chee got me a scale model ship on Friday.

Neat huh?
Hmm... I never watched Pirates of the Carribean 3...

Anyway, the next day, I went to tuition in the morning like normal until 2:30 PM. On the way home, I knew there was no party waiting at home for me. My sister was sick at her campus while having her exams. It was impossible! I kept telling that to myself, but some part of me was so hoping I was wrong.

I entered my home, and as anticipated, an empty living room had greeted me. The old sofas surrounding the coffee table were vacant, and nobody threw balloons at me.
*sigh*
Look, I'm not complaining OK? It's just that it's hard to go back to eating potato chips when you've been served a sizzling steak.

Which, oddly enough, was what I had for dinner.

My father brought the us to Victoria Station, this restaurant with a cowboy-Texas-he-who-tames-the-iron-horse kinda theme. We've went there before, but the last time we did, it was many years ago.

After dinner, my father presented his gift to me. Dang, it was awesome. Let's just say I was excited over it.

On the 24th, I celebrated my birthday (and other guys' birthdays) at Melanie's place. That celebration was a hoot.

You know, apart from all the gifts, celebrations and wishes, there is a grander present that I'm most thankful for. In fact, I have too much to be thankful for, that I really think I don't deserve.
You know what the gift is?

This life.

I am not retarded. I'm not blind, deaf or mute. I have all 5 senses.
I am not psycho, though I tend to act like one.
I am healthy. No diabetes, high blood pressure, swine flu, etc.
I have a good family. No divorces or elopes.
I have a comfortable home. I even have a room to myself when my brother is away.
I am middle-class. Not too rich to blind me, but not too poor to suffer.
I have decent grades in school.
I am surrounded by family and friends. I can easily get their help and support.
My country is peaceful and not at war.
I can get food easily.
I can get water easily.
I can get education easily.
I have shelter.
I am not handsome, but not ugly.
I am not a good person, but I am not bad. (shamone! Lol.)
I have no major problems.
I am not sad.
I am happy.

And I am content.
And greatly thankful.

Alhamdulillah! All Praise be to God! I have so much to be thankful for. And yet, I suck at using my advantages. If I were to switch places with another boy, my age, who lives in poverty and has a broken family, he would work hard like heck and be nicer to others. He would be more disciplined and obedient. He would be more caring, and maybe, just maybe, be more awesome (though highly unlikely. Lol.)
I have a very good life. And to me, that is the greatest gift a guy could get. For all of my shortcomings, I deeply and sincerely apologise.
I do not intend to show off. I am just saying that I have a lot to be thankful for.




What about you?








Peace. Love. Joy.


P/S : To all Muslims, please don't think of me as being a worldly person. I said that this life is a gift, meaning I got it without doing anything. Whereas success in the afterlife is a Reward, something you have to earn. Peace be upon you.