Recently, I celebrated a birthday that was nothing short of beautiful.

After school, my daughter and I went to church. The sanctuary was quiet and peaceful, filled mostly with senior citizens — many of them grandmothers. There was something deeply comforting about that. It felt like a quiet, gentle nod from the heavens — almost like a sign from my own grandma, reminding me she’s always near.

We stepped outside and were greeted by a beautiful garden buzzing with life. We stopped to watch the bees dancing among clusters of purple passion allium — there were several bees, and one was especially big. I paused to take videos and photos of them, mesmerized. And right in front of me stood a single green allium — the only one of its kind, distinct and vibrant among all the purple. I couldn’t help but feel like it was meant to be noticed.

That day, I wore a light gray and white dress with colorful embroidered sandals. My daughter was glowing in her yellow dress, her silver ballet flats catching the light. Yellow has always been my lucky color, and it seemed to follow me all day.

As we walked through the nearby parking area, I stopped to admire and photograph a cheerful yellow daylily. And that’s when we saw it — a delicate white butterfly fluttering around before briefly landing nearby. My daughter and I just looked at each other and smiled. It felt special, like a gentle whisper of a blessing. Two days later, I saw the exact same kind of butterfly again — this time, it fluttered right into my car and rested there for a moment before flying away.

After that beautiful moment, we treated ourselves to ice cream — just the two of us. A sweet, simple memory I’ll always treasure.

Later that evening, we celebrated at home with a nice dinner. My mom and dad came over, and being surrounded by loved ones made the evening feel even more special. My husband surprised me with my favorite cake, and the most adorable birthday card that plays a little song when you open it — kittens singing Happy Birthday 🥰. It completely melted my heart.

And the birthday wishes! From personal texts to thoughtful messages and sweet notes on social media — I felt truly remembered and embraced by friends and family. My heart was full to the brim.

We ended the night with something fun and totally us — two new TikTok family dance challenges! One inspired by J-Hope’s version of “To The Max”, and the other was the energetic Gasolina remix. We practiced quite a few times until we were finally satisfied — oh, we had so many laughs. Just pure, silly fun. The best kind of memory to wrap up a day full of beauty and love.

So this Thankful Tuesday, I’m feeling especially grateful. For the signs. For the smiles. For the flowers and butterflies. For family and laughter. And of course, to our mighty Creator, for blessing me with this wonderful gift of life. I am beyond grateful.  🙏💖