Every year, my birthday feels a bit different. And it should right? A whole year goes by. Things change.

When I sat down to write this, I had no idea what to say about my birthday. Usually, I write what I feel. But this time, I found myself searching for ways to describe how I feel. So instead, I'm going to write a letter. A letter to "26". Here it goes.

Dear 26:

My goodness, weren't you a force of nature? You popped up out of nowhere and took me completely by surprise. And to be honest, you shook up my world a little bit. You brought with you a lot of joy, a lot of celebrations and a lot of happiness. But you also brought some hardship with you. And a lot of frustration. And a WHOLE lot of fatigue. 

You were, by far, one of my most difficult years. Yes, there have been worse times. But you challenged me in a way that I've never been challenged before. You challenged me to fight for myself. You challenged me to keep digging and searching for what I wanted. No matter how much it hurt. No matter how much I wanted to run in the other direction. You taught me the power of intuition. Of listening to my gut. You taught me to turn inward and reflect whenever I got frustrated or angry. And for that, I am ever grateful.

Thank-you for these lessons. Thank-you for showing me that I already am the person I aspire to me. Thank-you for showing me a true glimpse of myself this year. Thank-you for leaving me all those little clues. Thank-you for showing me the meaning of family. And thank-you for not being easy on me. 

You will forever be "the year I started my blog"...  "the year I graduated" ... "the year I became a doctor".  And you will always be "the year I ate too much chocolate". Just kidding, that will never happen. ;)

Yours,

Khadijah

Oh and to 27: It's nice to meet you. Let's get this party started. ;)