happy Jem thanksgiving
yes - it's that time of year again.. that creeping feeling you aren't exactly where you want to be in life - that nagging thought: "why aren't you an adult yet?".. that's right. it's BIRTHDAY TIME!
each year my birthday has a theme.. when i was at the tender age of 19, i thanked you all for being a part of the person still in the making, still in rehearsals; the genesis of Jem. at 23, i wanted my birthday to be about love - love for myself, loving the world i live in, loving my friends. while the wish to spread the love around hasn't faded in these past 12 months, it's time for a new theme. in '07, it's all about being grateful..
i want everyone to think about every wonderful thing in their life. all too often we get caught up in everything we haven't achieved.. but what of the things we have? how often do we leave the 'thank you's unsaid? how often do we lose focus of the present?
have you said 'thank you' lately? i don't mean when someone holds the lift open for you.. i don't even mean when someone brings you a cup of coffee in the morning. i mean 'thank you for being my friend'. 'thank you for understanding'. 'thank you for loving me'. far too many times in my life, i've neglected to say thanks.. maybe i'm a spoilt brat - maybe it's normal for someone my age. i don't really care.. i'm just grateful that i remembered in time. it's not too late to thank each and every one of you for loving me.
thank you to my sisters, miriam and isobel. without you two, i would be nothing - you taught me everything i know about the world and if ever i succeed, it will be because you showed me how. thank you to my parents, janice and chris - you gave me life, you raised me, you haemorrhaged money while i grew up and i am never afraid to be myself, because you taught me that was ok. thank you to my aunties, for teaching me that laughter is more powerful than crying, and making me see the positive side of every situation. thank you to my grandparents, may you rest in peace, for all the sacrifices and hard decisions you made to give me a great life. thank you to my ex-boyfriends, for teaching me what i don't want out of relationships. thank you to mrs. gorman, my year 12 music teacher, for teaching me that even bogans from newcastle can have an ARIA no. 1. thank you to my friends from school for showing me that you can't go back - nothing's the same. thank you to my friends from my trashy early sydney days for helping me to realise that like the phoenix rising from the ashes, so too can we rise from all the hard times and struggle we've experienced; but fuck, didn't we have some fun!! thank you to my friends of today - i have grown to love you so fast and i feel like you have started a new chapter in the saga of Jem; i can hardly wait to write the next paragraph! thank you to brett, the love of my life, for supporting me through all my myriad moods and head-states - you've never tried to change me, never judged me and always loved me - you must be the strongest man in the world, and my lucky star.
yes, it's a time of thanks and of celebration. my birthday's never just been about me - it's about all of you.. take a moment to think of all the people that make you who you are, and remember that you can't take them for granted - trust me - they could be gone tomorrow.. that's what makes today so wonderful.
i could whinge and moan about all the things that have gone wrong, all the things that never happened.. but in the end, i've had a great life; and i'm so grateful for that.
HAPPY MY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE!!
each year my birthday has a theme.. when i was at the tender age of 19, i thanked you all for being a part of the person still in the making, still in rehearsals; the genesis of Jem. at 23, i wanted my birthday to be about love - love for myself, loving the world i live in, loving my friends. while the wish to spread the love around hasn't faded in these past 12 months, it's time for a new theme. in '07, it's all about being grateful..
i want everyone to think about every wonderful thing in their life. all too often we get caught up in everything we haven't achieved.. but what of the things we have? how often do we leave the 'thank you's unsaid? how often do we lose focus of the present?
have you said 'thank you' lately? i don't mean when someone holds the lift open for you.. i don't even mean when someone brings you a cup of coffee in the morning. i mean 'thank you for being my friend'. 'thank you for understanding'. 'thank you for loving me'. far too many times in my life, i've neglected to say thanks.. maybe i'm a spoilt brat - maybe it's normal for someone my age. i don't really care.. i'm just grateful that i remembered in time. it's not too late to thank each and every one of you for loving me.
thank you to my sisters, miriam and isobel. without you two, i would be nothing - you taught me everything i know about the world and if ever i succeed, it will be because you showed me how. thank you to my parents, janice and chris - you gave me life, you raised me, you haemorrhaged money while i grew up and i am never afraid to be myself, because you taught me that was ok. thank you to my aunties, for teaching me that laughter is more powerful than crying, and making me see the positive side of every situation. thank you to my grandparents, may you rest in peace, for all the sacrifices and hard decisions you made to give me a great life. thank you to my ex-boyfriends, for teaching me what i don't want out of relationships. thank you to mrs. gorman, my year 12 music teacher, for teaching me that even bogans from newcastle can have an ARIA no. 1. thank you to my friends from school for showing me that you can't go back - nothing's the same. thank you to my friends from my trashy early sydney days for helping me to realise that like the phoenix rising from the ashes, so too can we rise from all the hard times and struggle we've experienced; but fuck, didn't we have some fun!! thank you to my friends of today - i have grown to love you so fast and i feel like you have started a new chapter in the saga of Jem; i can hardly wait to write the next paragraph! thank you to brett, the love of my life, for supporting me through all my myriad moods and head-states - you've never tried to change me, never judged me and always loved me - you must be the strongest man in the world, and my lucky star.
yes, it's a time of thanks and of celebration. my birthday's never just been about me - it's about all of you.. take a moment to think of all the people that make you who you are, and remember that you can't take them for granted - trust me - they could be gone tomorrow.. that's what makes today so wonderful.
i could whinge and moan about all the things that have gone wrong, all the things that never happened.. but in the end, i've had a great life; and i'm so grateful for that.
Click to viewHAPPY MY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE!!