Salutations everyone! It's my 27th birthday today and I have the blessed misfortune of reflecting on the year while celebrating my existence. And it's been a hard year to celebrate; I won't get into details at some points but indulge me for a moment. My name is Munatsi and I'm from Zimbabwe, but I live in Canada. I miss my family more every year, though I tell them less and less. There is a lot of love there, I understand that. But I had cancer when I was 8 years old (I always used to tell people I was 10 when it happened, just so it sounded better for them). So recently I've been trying to unpack all that, really clear my head before I have any real responsibilities like a house, a wife, kids, even a dog. But life doesn't wait patiently as you deal with baggage, it just happens. It will keep flowing, we just decide whether to sink or swim. And that's a daily battle. But I've been sinking more than swimming for a while and I'll be 100% honest, I don't like myself. Not really. I like moments I create, memories I'm in but I don't think I've ever hugged myself, because I'm my own worst critic. And it's isolating, and difficult to explain, so your circle gets smaller(but you're introverted so you like that). But I have wonderful people who pull me out of my own head from time to time. My family changed a lot this year, that's another full suitcase life gave me but my sister and I are so close now and the chaos has helped. I know her far better, I understand her, I can never lie to her now but I'll concede that. And my other sister is growing so fast. They're both younger than me and I'm not prouder of anything in my life than them. I saw how human my parents are this year, which is life-changing even at 26. Maybe I hold on to things too long. I definitely hold on to things too long. Anyway this may help someone not feel alone, someone other than me. I'm smiling with a heavy heart, maybe next year will be a little lighter. Happy birthday me, I love you. #birthday #birthdayboy #27 #prose #notetoself #poetry #writing #instapoet #words #wordporn #thecultivatedfool #longform #mentalhealth #selflove #knowyourworth #life #love #venator #carpenoctem #newyear https://www.instagram.com/p/Br751-Th02M/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=p3y13q1d8xrb