Thank you Lord, for eighteen seventeen great years plus one crappy year. I mean, it couldn't have been all that crappy, could it ?

Today, I share with you the pictures of my humble 18th birthday celebration. Prior to going out for dinner, of course - there's the usual rite of passage of having a cake cut. Though this year, the birthday song was not sung : we are still in mourning. Anyhow, no matter how humble the celebration was, all that matters is one thing : my birthday fell on Easter Sunday, and I got the greatest gift of all, a gift that some people will never understand : the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Oh, and the dress I'm wearing in all these pics - dad got it for me. Thanks, dad.

The cake. It was Black Forest. And mmmmm. Strawberries and cream ! In case you're wondering why I didn't settle for chocolate or anything more sumptuous, I'm abstaining from chocolate, and Dad hates cheese.

Narin's eyes and mine were set on the cake. Now that you saw how good-looking it was !


Oi ! What happened to the light ?!!! Anyhow, I blew out those candles (one big one and eight small ones) in one single puff.

And I can't believe that, after a few minutes, when the lights were turned on, I was still in the same pose.
 

These are my grandparents. Grandpa (whom I fondly call Bapuji) is 94, and Grandma (whom I fondly call Maaji) is 83. (They're blessed !)

It took us a great deal of effort just to get the first wedge out of the cake ! Stupid blunt knife !

This here is my dad, standing next to me.

(Mom, I know this is my first birthday without you, but I did stay strong.)

Into Bapuji's mouth the cake goes...

...and into Maaji's... (Faites ah ! Aaaaahhh !)

... and into Narin's mouth (Narin, ceci est pour toi).

The cake on the table after the first wedge had been cut off.

Mmmm... cream.......

My first after-cake pose.

I never could play the drums in a long while... but I began once again, hoping to spill out what was in my heart. (Though I know my legs are swiveled to the wrong direction... I literally fell on my seat when this shot was being taken.)

Well, there you go. That's our humble little celebration. Overshadowed by mom's loss. Oh well, salutations à la légalité !