It’s been QUITE a week.

I had actually been looking forward to my birthday for a while now and anticipating all the amazing things that usually happens this day each year.

I imagined that there would be a room full of balloons and surprises and incessant phone calls and loud alarm tones that my sms inbox is full. I knew the entire day like the years before would be surrounded by friends and the night would be prayers and a celebration with my family and relatives. And, so I anticipated...

Then, as fate and faith would have it..one of our friend, Aaron fell very ill and doctors could not diagnose what was wrong with him. It turned out to be two weeks of camping out at his bedside, uncertainty, prayers and clinging on to hope. We stood by his parents, giving courage to his brother and hanging on a prayer waiting for a miracle. I forgot about my birthday.

While we waited on that miracle and gave his parents hope, God had other plans. Aaron went home to the Lord on the dreary Monday morning of October the 10 as we stood by his bedside refusing to let him go. We stood helplessly and watched the screen record his dropping heartbeat. As the numbers decreased, we held him and prayed with all that we had and willed for him to come back. But it defiantly slid to a zero and stayed there even as we called out his name and called out to God.

His face and body lost its colour while we held him close to keep him warm. His body was frail from the machines and medicines and his will must have been exhausted. Aaron must have been very tired and so God commanded the angels to wrap his son in their wings and bring him home for He will have no more of this. The angels lifted him off the earth and our tears flooded the ground...

It’s been one week now. The sadness is almost paralyzing. We continue to be strong so that Aaron’s family can lean on us and move on. Life does go on because it must. Though we might get busy with life, we will never be too busy to remember Aaron who did not know how to frown and never stopped smiling. Aaron made it impossible for us to be mad at him and there was never reason to. We will always help his parents remember this son they loved and lost when they stumble across memories of him.

We have learnt more in this last one week that we had in the months journeying as the Single Adult and Youth (S.A.Y) group of St Joseph's.

We have learnt that life IS short. Whether we have 17 or 70 years, make it good.
We learn that sometimes we forget that the significance of life is not about being cool, it’s about being there.
We learn that everything is not always about us, it’s also about others.
We are reminded that our family is the closest and most important people we have.
We treasure good friends who celebrate the good times and support us through the bad.
We trust that you can go on long after you think you can't.
We now know when we are down to nothing, God is up to something.

Aaron's ordeal has blessed in the most significant ways. I hope he is looking down from heaven and knows how much this has changed the lives of so many people. We are closer now that we have ever been. We love and support each other more. It’s amazing that all the challenges we faced seem insignificant and our struggle is actually the most important part of this journey.

When October the 16 finally arrived, I was touched to see that my friends had got together to celebrate it anyway. And, we did get together at night just as I had imagined. My family had taken so much trouble to make it a wonderful day and lots of people I loved was there.

In hindsight, I believe that I had the most memorable birthday because I learnt some very important, life changing lessons. I swallowed a bitter pill to learn that pride should have no bearing on relationships and I was fortunate that Aaron's family allowed us into their home and hearts and we are better people for it.

God bless you, Aaron. You are the reason I further believe that my family will always be the most important people in my life. I stand tall because they lift me on their shoulders and I soar high because they lend me their wings. And thank you, my friends who are near and those of you in other countries for blessing me with your love. For always....