The Big Birthday! July 8th, 2009

So, today July 8th was my Birthday!

Ummm, I gotta say... this was one of the best birthdays I've ever had! Its always hard having a summer birthday because my friends are always busy, so its hard to sometimes get them together for a celebration. But on Sunday, I had to commemorate the day of my birth and spend it with people I really cared about. I found out one of my favorite bands was performing live in Central Park this past sunday, so I assembled a group of my closest friends and had us all meet up for a picnic and concert in the park. I don't know why it was so special to me. Perhaps because we live in an age where people aren't the best at keeping commitments. Essentially, in this era we've become perpetual "promise-breakers". Sure this may sound harsh, but I've found with the advent of modern technology we've become a society used to "conveniently changing our minds", and notifying those close to us by a text message. Luckily, the friends that said they would come, came. That meant a lot to me.

We met up and just had the opportunity to catch up and find out what 's been going on in each others' lives. What's so interesting about this to me, is that during the school year I don't often have these opportunites to just sit down and chat with my closest friends. Juilliard keeps me really busy, and while that's a great thing creatively, I find that socially it leaves me feeling a bit alienated. I often feel like I'm in an environment where no one really knows me, intimately. At this point in my life, I'm beginning to find the value in surrounding myself with people who know the "real me". Who have seen me grow and change over the years, and essentially have been there for me through all of those changes...that's priceless.

Since that celebration on the 5th, I've recieved an outpouring of well-wishes from friends for today, my actual birthday. At work today, I was lucky enough to have my co-workers surprise me with cupcakes from my favorite bakery. How they knew it was my favorite, i'll never know! And then at the end of my workday, i met up with a very close froend to go to a guided meditation at an elite spa and mediation center here in NyC. Luckily, we both ran into another really good friend of our who does massage therapy for the Center, and she gave us passes for free yoga. Such a treat! The my friend and I went to the roofdeck of the hotel to which the spa is attacched and had an amazing time simply being grateful for the world that we're in at the time that we're in it! I feel so priviledged to be born at this time in history. To know tha as an african-american woman, I have the right to acheive pretty anything I put my mind to. That I can find support for whatever I need when I need it, that I am healthy and mobile, that I have people who are positive and progressive all around me to help me grow. These are just a few of the things I have to be grateful for.

I'm most grateful to be going to this amazing school at this time of my life! When I give tours, I often describe what I believe to be the difference between choosing Juilliard and choosing to go to a regular liberal arts school for their education. It comes down to inspiration. I feel that everyday, when times become overwhelmingly difficult with rehearsals, and classes and meetings, that at the end of the day your spirit is low, you can always be re-inspired when you hear a fellow student sing an aria, or play the guitar, perhaps even watch a dance rehearsal. When you see the talent of other students around you, it reminds you why you do what you do! It makes you want to press forward.

This is a birthday I'll never forget, because its at a time of my life that I'll never forget!