20 Years of Life

By Jenise Jackson
Blog Content Contributor

Alright guys, so for the first time in 15 years, I decided I was going to have a big celebration for my birthday. Why have I not celebrated my birthday since I was 5 years old? Well, I never really thought the day was special enough to do such a thing. This year, someone reminded me that some people would have loved to see two decades of life and I realized that I should not take for granted the fact that I would see 20 years. While I am somewhat of an introvert and not a big fan of social gatherings, I have to say that my 20th birthday party ended up being a time to remember.

I told myself if I am going to have a party, I want it to be simple yet special. I guess most people would call it more of a kickback. I wanted to be surrounded by my closest companions and people who have helped me make it through the past year. I wanted nothing but good vibes the whole night because I live my life trying to spread more positivity. Thankfully, Son’s Island proved to be the perfect venue for that.

I rented out an evening cabana that sat right on the side of Lake Placid. The cabana reminded me of a Mexican palapa, palm leaves and all, with an amazingly beautiful view. Because I love me some good ol’ barbecue, we fired up the grill to make some hot dogs, burgers and ribs that were so good I could have slapped my momma (just kidding mom). We all sat around listening to a great Spotify playlist as we let our food digest. We shared many laughs and smiled at the fact that we were enjoying the beauty of life. And then the real fun began.

One of my favorite songs of all time is Pony by Ginuwine. I heard Mustard, the live band that was featured in the common area, start the beat off and I ran to be right in front of the stage. I’m not much of a dancer, but I was getting down to Pony and my friends joined in just to hype me up. After they played some more chill songs like Redbone, Mustard’s lead singer Chad Smith let my talented friend Darcell get on the mic. He gave his own rendition of “Happy Birthday” that featured a scat breakdown and the band joined in. We had the whole place celebrating just for me and for the first time in awhile, I felt adored.

Before we could leave Son’s Island, we had to let me blow out some candles and cut my cake. Of course, me being the person I am, I had to give a speech first. I gathered all my friends into a circle and just let them know how much they meant to me and how much I loved them. I could not have asked for a better way to celebrate 20 years of life and I got a little teared up expressing that. But like a real G, I got myself together and made a wish. We all indulged in some strawberry cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, had another little turn up session and decided to call it a night. We all drove away from Son’s Island filled with overwhelming joy.

While the night might sound extremely basic, it happened to be the best night that I have had in a long time. I can say that this year’s birthday was my best yet. I used to think that acknowledging my birthday was a waste of time, but I learned that anytime you get to make another year is a true blessing and should not be taken lightly. I want to end on this note. Enjoy life while you can, surround yourself with great individuals and make memories that last because those are things you can cherish forever.