None the Wiser
Birthday is usually a happy occasion for people who celebrated it. What I usually find to be a little difficult is how to pick the right present whenever close relatives is having their birthday. I usually have a hard time thinking about what to write in the birthday greeting card.
Back then I usually write to wish them a long and happy life, but although (probably) we would love to live forever, writing this to elderly person is somewhat inappropriate for me. I mean, how long do we wish them to live? Lately, I began wishing them more wisdom for each time they got older. But yesterday, a friend of mine is responding differently.
She’s just recently had her 30th birthday, and in my mind reaching thirty could be considered a milestone that would make even the busiest people sit and think about their life for a while. So I wrote to her and wished her a happy birthday and more wisdom.
What she asked back to me is whether I thought that she lacked wisdom. I have to admit that I was quite amused by her response. She’s a dear friend so I decide to write back an explanation of sorts. This is what I write to her :
Could you not live and gain more wisdom in a year of living? Could you have enough wisdom to last a lifetime? I wish for you to be wiser to know what an important life you are living, rather than living an important life without the wisdom to know it. If I wished you a long, healthy and happy life would you say that’s because I think your life is not long, healthy and happy enough?
I have to admit it is as much a learning process also for me as I hoped it would also be for her. Anyway, I am still waiting for her response to my writing and I have to admit that I am a little bit curious about what her response would be, I just hope that she won’t be none the wiser. Oh well, let’s just wait and see.
