AUGUST 26…..

 August 26 -the day I was born, and the day two magical things happened. ✨

Let me explain why I call it “magic.”

My company held a Staff Appreciation Day, and I found it to be such a positive and encouraging initiative, especially in a team-oriented work environment. Instead of recognizing only an “Employee of the Month,” they chose to appreciate and celebrate the entire team.

I’ve experienced working for companies where recognition was focused only on one individual. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that approach-it’s simply another way of showing appreciation-I’ve also seen how it can sometimes unintentionally create jealousy, resentment, bullying, or unhealthy competition among coworkers, eventually contributing to a toxic workplace environment.

Personally, I believe that when an entire team feels valued and appreciated, something special happens. Morale improves, people become more motivated, productivity increases, and even sales and customer reviews can benefit. When everyone feels that their contribution matters, people are more willing to support one another and give their best.

That’s why I genuinely appreciate being part of a company that chooses to celebrate and recognize the whole team.

The second magical thing that happened was getting the opportunity to meet the staff of Chef Stefano Secchi and learn more about his restaurants, the culture, and, most importantly, the incredible team behind it all.

Chef Stefano Secchi is someone I truly look up to and draw inspiration from. Not only because he is one of The New York Times’ favorite chefs renowned for his culinary mastery but because I have so much respect for his culinary journey. He spent years training in Italy under world-class chefs, most notably sharpening his skills under Massimo Bottura at the legendary three-Michelin-star Osteria Francescana in Modena.

As I grow older, I’m beginning to understand something I never quite appreciated when I was younger: sometimes, the people you meet in life -especially those who genuinely inspire you -become some of the greatest birthday gifts you could ever receive.

Don’t get me wrong. Just like anyone else, I love birthday cards, flowers, gift cards, and all the thoughtful presents that come with a birthday. But as life unfolds, you begin to realize that the most valuable gifts are often not things at all.

They are people.

The conversations you have. The stories you hear. The lessons you carry with you. The people who inspire you to become a better version of yourself.

And yet, we often take those people for granted.

We assume there will always be another conversation, another visit, another opportunity to say thank you, another chance to tell someone how much they mean to us.

Until one day, there isn’t.

Life gets in the way. Circumstances change. Or, in the hardest cases, we lose them for good.

That thought always takes me back to my grandfather.

When I was a child, he would wake up incredibly early in the morning, goes to school’s kitchen to get tea, and bring us warm tingmo(bread)and thukpa(porridge)for breakfast. He would come into my room, pull away my blanket, and wake me up for breakfast.

And honestly, back then, I would get so agitated.

I’d roll my eyes, complain about being woken up, pull the blanket back over myself, and go right back to sleep.

But after he passed away, I started missing those very moments I once found so annoying.

I wished there was someone who would come into my room again, pull away my blanket, wake me up, and tell me that morning tea and breakfast were ready.

Funny how life works.

The things we once wanted to escape from become the things we would give anything to experience just one more time.

If only I had known then what I know now.

Those ordinary mornings were actually extraordinary gifts.

Perhaps that is what growing older really does to you. It changes the way you look at the little things. You begin to realize that love doesn’t always arrive wrapped in a beautiful package.

Sometimes, it looks like someone waking you up too early for breakfast.

Sometimes, it looks like a cup of tea waiting for you in the morning.

And sometimes, it looks like the people who believe in your dreams, share your purpose, challenge you, inspire you, and remind you that you’re not walking this journey alone.

Later that night, as I usually do on my birthday, I looked up at the sky and gazed at the stars.

I’ve always had this little ritual of looking up at the stars on my birthday night. Maybe I’m looking for answers. Maybe I’m just looking for a little reassurance from the universe.

And that night, I found myself asking:

Have the stars finally aligned for me?

Have I finally met my people -the ones who believe in the same things I do? The ones who share the same purpose? The ones who see the world, and this journey, in a way that feels familiar?

Or am I just being delulu again?

Honestly, I don’t know.

Maybe the stars really have aligned. Maybe I’m connecting dots that were never meant to be connected. Maybe I’m completely delulu.

But either way, it puts a smile on my face.

Because even if it is all delulu, if it gives me a little hope, a little excitement, and a sense of purpose to live in the moment, then maybe I don’t need to know the answer just yet.

Maybe I can simply let it be.

Maybe some things in life aren’t meant to be figured out immediately. Maybe they’re meant to be felt, experienced, and appreciated while they’re here.

So this birthday, I’m grateful.

For the people who came before me.

For the people I’ve lost.

For the people who continue to inspire me.

For the people I’m fortunate enough to meet along the way.

And for the possibility that, somewhere between all the chaos, coincidences, dreams, and a little bit of delusion, the stars really might be aligning.

And if they are —

I’m here for it. ✨