A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to get a chance to celebrate my birthday in New York City on a four-day trip that was full of friends, family and fun. My actual birthday was a beautiful, sunny day, and I wandered through the streets of Brooklyn to a place called "Apartment 138" where I met friends for brunch. It is no surprise that I was the last to arrive, and when I walked in, I was greeted with smiles and hugs by my waiting friends. As we sat around the table, breaking bread and enjoying champagne, I couldn't help but look around the table and become overwhelmed with love for the faces that surrounded me. This eclectic group of people, none of whom had connections to each other before this meal, had gathered in my honor. And not only do I care deeply for each of them as individuals, they each represent such an important time in my life and group of people that I love.
Josh - My Beginnings/My Foundation
I am fortunate enough to come from a place that is a community. You grow up with the friends who you make at a young age and stand by for many years. You know their siblings and their parents. You know their ups and their downs. You know their stories. And, like it or not, they know yours. Twenty years ago, when I was an awkward eighth grader managing the seventh grade boys soccer team, I befriended Josh, who would be one of my closest friends that year. Every day after school, he would ride his bike to my house. We would hang out and do whatever junior high school kids do with their time. And while this close friendship did not last through our high school and college years, he still holds a very special place in my story. And twenty years later, when he walked in to a mutual friend's engagement party, we were able to pick up right where we left off. This is a testament to who we are and where we come from. The community in which we grew up...our town...our group of friends...we are a family who is connected at our roots. And having Josh by my side during breakfast is a testament to that.
Matthew - My Self-Worth/My Self-Love
Due to a lot of different factors in the life story of Briana, it took a long time for me to really open myself up to self love. During my first professional job out of graduate school, I was living in a small town and outside of my co-workers, did not have a lot of connections. Even within my UMass cohort, there were few people who really stood out as people with whom I wanted to spend a lot of time. I spent a lot of time thinking about who I was and what meant the most to me in life, and it was probably one of the first times in my life that I really was protective of this. Matthew was one of the people who immediately captured my heart because we would laugh together, learn together and challenge each other during a very developmental time in our lives. Matthew was also by my side as I really started dealing with my own issues with self worth. Not only did he love me through this process, but he represents the parts of my life that were working and that I chose to keep. Matthew's friendship represents the friends I made once I became the person I am today, and his presence at brunch all of these years later reminds me how important it is to truly get to know yourself and find people who love you for it.
Anthony - My Present
When I was younger, if you had told me I'd be living in Los Angeles working on a college campus, I probably would not have believed it. But here I am. And I am doing my best to not take any day for granted. Anthony is a friend who I met through my work at LMU, and he is a master at being a positive presence in life and living every day to its fullest. Thanks to Anthony, I get out of my apartment more frequently than I naturally would to socialize. He opens doors for me and challenges me out of my comfort zone. This is very representative of my current life because I am seeking experiences that complete what comes naturally to me, especially socially. I've always been socially awkward, and not only is Anthony specifically good at helping me overcome this, he also represents my efforts to reach out more frequently. In fact, part of what made this birthday brunch so magical was Anthony's presence. His laughter and zest for life light up a room, and his friendship reminds me to embrace every moment.
Corey - My Possibilities
Until I walked into the door for this brunch, I had never met Corey. I knew of him only through Anthony, but we immediately hugged, and the rest is history. So even though Corey and I specifically only have a short history, he still represents something significant in my life: the potential that every day brings if you allow it. By opening myself up to Anthony's friendship, I indirectly opened the door to all of the other potential friends in my future. Each new person and each new face is someone new who may impact your life when you least expect it. One minute, Corey was a friend of a friend, and the next, he was celebrating my birthday with me. Possibilities can become realities just that quickly.
Alaina - My Passion
There are many reasons why I do the work that I do, but one of the biggest draws for me is getting the opportunity to meet and work with amazing students, and also to be given the privilege to walk beside them along their journey of self-discovery and development. Every now and then, I'll even get a chance to impact their lives along the way. And if I'm lucky, once they graduate, some of these students stay in your life and become your friends. Alaina graduated from LMU two years ago, and she is a very dear person in my life. As a student, I was endeared by her positive attitude, her creative spirit and her open heart. As a friend, she has let me in even further to see the depth to which she loves and interacts with the world around her. Alaina's presence in my life represents my heart's passion and why I have chosen to spend my professional life on a college campus working with young adults. And her sitting by my side just further reinforces why this is the right field for me.
So, yes...maybe I tend to think too deeply about some situations, but I couldn't help but be taken aback by the love I felt for the motley crew who gathered to celebrate me on my birthday, but I also was very moved by what each of them represented in my life. And for 34 years of life, I sure haven't done so bad!
