Like Any Other Day

Today is supposed to be a special day for me. I’m the birthday boy, turning 31. But honestly, I don’t feel much of anything. I’ll spend the day just like any other: practicing flashcards, sending emails, reading articles. I don’t expect to receive any birthday wishes either, since I don’t post about it on social media. And as we grow older, friends naturally have more important things to worry about, so birthdays often slip by unnoticed. That’s okay. It’s part of growing up. What matters is that I take better care of myself — something I sometimes forget.

Hôm nay lẽ ra phải là một ngày đặc biệt đối với tôi. Tôi là nhân vật chính của ngày sinh nhật, bước sang tuổi 31. Nhưng thật lòng mà nói, tôi hầu như không cảm thấy gì cả. Tôi sẽ dành ngày này giống như mọi ngày khác: luyện flashcard, gửi email, đọc bài viết. Tôi cũng không mong nhận được lời chúc mừng sinh nhật, vì tôi không đăng lên mạng xã hội. Khi chúng ta trưởng thành, bạn bè tự nhiên có nhiều việc quan trọng hơn phải lo, nên sinh nhật thường bị bỏ qua. Điều đó cũng không sao. Đó là một phần của việc trưởng thành. Quan trọng là tôi phải chăm sóc bản thân tốt hơn — điều mà đôi khi tôi lại quên mất.

Hari ini sepatutnya menjadi hari istimewa bagi saya. Saya budak hari jadi, genap 31 tahun. Tetapi sejujurnya, saya hampir tidak rasa apa-apa pun. Saya akan lalui hari ini seperti hari-hari biasa: berlatih kad imbas, menghantar emel, membaca artikel. Saya juga tidak menjangka akan menerima ucapan hari jadi, kerana saya tidak menandakan tarikh ini di media sosial. Bila kita semakin dewasa, rakan-rakan secara semula jadi ada perkara lebih penting untuk difikirkan, jadi hari jadi sering terlepas daripada ingatan. Itu tidak mengapa. Ia sebahagian daripada proses membesar. Yang penting ialah saya menjaga diri dengan lebih baik — sesuatu yang kadang-kadang saya terlupa.

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