Let me put it this way, color rules my life these days. Though
white remains to be a top preference, Saturday night was a breather and was spent and celebrated with GOLD.
Before I move on to the details of the gold celebration, here's a bit of reflection. Obviously, I'm in a reflecting mood once again :)
I regard this color-fetish as an alarming sign of aging. Lol! But since there is only this reason I had foolishly come up with, there might after all be a looming truth to it. Double LOL! On a serious note, life really did make a turn in my 30s. Gone(?) are the carefree 20-ish days, weaving my way through high energy social scenes in all possible corners of the planet. Moving on to present times -- I am left shocked, in awe, and filled with wonder on how I could have survived such "fast-paced" day and night life back then. Again, aging!
Here's the thing -- when you're in your 30s, the night finally creeps up on you. It lives to its meaning. I sleep! But on top of the sleeping, I have become more analytical (lol). More reflective (lol lol). Most especially when the dreaded birthday is just a couple of months away. Oh Boy! Here we go again. FEAR FACTOR!!! Nevertheless, I spend some days thinking
(too much) and preparing
(too much) for that day the Golden age lands on my lap.
This then leads me to last Saturday's gold celebration. Good thing, I did attend. Otherwise, I would have missed out on all the blast especially the juicy chikas ... and most importantly the coming to terms with aging.
My very first boss, who made work real fun from that moment I stepped foot in the corporate world, celebrated her 50th birthday. I was fresh from college, dreaming on building an empire. Instead, I found myself immersed and indulged with a lot of "showbiz" and "chika" talk. If I do my math, she was in her 30s when I first met her. Imagine that!
The theme of the night. We are a brady bunch of marketing practitioners. Thus, get-togethers, whether it be work or personal related, must always be themed.
In relation to the gold theme, I love the gold bangles!!!
Lovely floral arrangement to spruce up the night and the venue.
The venue which I have personally earmarked as "Anthony's Spa". Aside from the fact that the house is owned by my former co-worker, Anthony, his home emits a sense of relaxation and serenity. Exactly like being in a spa.
Nothing beats a homemade Paella! ... with wine ... and champagne. Oh, have I mentioned that we used to be a bunch of alcoholics too. Lol! But these days, we have downgraded our preference to coffee or tea. Oooh, aging!
Getting ready for the toast. There's me, in my
drop bead necklace, waiting for that perfect moment shot.
The traditional "alay" or gift-giving. Simple mechanics: Gift givers say their wishes and share a bit of story about their gift. Reminder, keep in mind the theme. See! The gift came in gold :)
The best gift of all. Funny.
A short video clip on the Golden Girls interspersed with throughout the years images of the birthday celebrant (with us, of course).
A no-choice speech by the celebrant who we call "Mother". We, the children or better known as
Bella (Flores), opted to be seated on the floor while Mother gave her spiel.
As I earlier said, I have come to terms with aging on that very night. I was meant to be there in order for me to hear straight from Mother how beautiful and wonderful it is to age. There is nothing to fear. As they say, there are no U-turns. Not even surgeries can do the trick of masking one's age. It is part and parcel of growing and living.
As I continue on, I cross my fingers that I always be able to keep in mind what Mother said ..... there is no better place than being right here this very moment. But I also look forward to what the next stop, the 60s, will bring :)
Cheers to Mother! Cheers to great friends!
The perfect moment shot I waited for. CHEERS TO AGE!!!
*photos by me and Patti.
