21

There I was hoisting my grandma over a fence in a parking garage downtown on this past Wednesday afternoon.  My mom and grandma came into town to visit for my 21^st birthday.  After lunch we had some trouble finding the car and ended up having to climb over a small fence in order to get to it.  My mom was the first to hop the fence so she could help my grandma from the other side.  When we were all safely over the fence and laughing so hard we were in tears, I thought, this is the best birthday ever.  
It’s moments like this that make birthdays perfect, they can’t be recreated or purchased they’re simply priceless.  Sometimes I think that I take moments like this for granted.  People will plan like crazy for big events in their lives and then when the day comes they’re too stressed out to even enjoy it.  
Birthday’s aren’t about how many people come to your party, or about how many present’s you get.  It’s about that moment when the clock strikes midnight and your roommate, who was out studying, runs into the apartment and screams happy birthday and you have a dance party.  Or when your three best friends throw a glittery sign over your head that they spent hours on, listing all the fun and ridiculous stuff you have to do.  It’s these moments that need to be lived, cherished and turned into unforgettable memories.   

-Anna Kirwan