shared by Marlo R. Beall, her sister
Happy 32nd Birthday Cyn!
I have several memories of Cyn's birthday celebrations. I often think of spending much of the day cleaning the house so that Cyn's friends could come over in the evening. Although I also remember a couple of times when Cyn and her friends decided to gather in one or two rooms at a local hotel to celebrate.
Wherever the location, I always admired Cyn for making the effort to get her friends together on her birthday. So although having her birthday so close to Christmas may have been bittersweet at times - given that it could be easily overlooked amidst the holidays - one good thing was that many of her friends were usually home for winter break, so her birthday was the perfect reason to get together.
I remember going to church on her birthday. Some years we would attend Simbang Gabi at five-thirty in the morning. As is tradition, we would eat breakfast after mass in the church hall. Usually after that, we would go home and go back to sleep. We affectionately referred to this process as having "Simbang-Gabi-Syndrome".
As with most family birthdays, I remember partaking in a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. For Me, Arlene and Carla, our favorite flavor was always Gold Medal Ribbon. I know Cyn and VJ liked that too, but I also recall Cyn liking Vanilla or maybe also Pralines and Cream.
Two years ago, we started this blog in honor of Cyn's birthday. It's so heartwarming to acknowledge that it continues to grow every month. So to all of you reading, thank you for continuing to celebrate Cyn's life and spirit with us.
In 2009, we had 30 entries that coincided with Cyn's 30th birthday. In 2010, to commemorate Cyn's 31st birthday, we posted a few entries of people sharing thoughts about gifts that Cyn had given to them. This year, as a little birthday twist, we are asking that if you are reading this - and as a birthday gift to Cyn - please make the commitment to submit a blog entry sharing your own thoughts of Cyn.
Every entry, long or short, silly or reflective, random or life-impacting, is a celebration of Cyn. You don't have to start writing something today. But if you've been thinking about it and already have a memory in mind, submit something within the next three months. If you've been wanting to share something but haven't yet thought of what to say, jot something down within the next six months.
If you have already posted something, thank you so much, but that doesn't mean you're excluded. For you folks, please submit something before Cyn's next birthday. Another option, for everybody, would be to simply submit a photo and a caption. Thank you in advance for your part in helping our blog continue to grow, and for helping to keep Cyn's spirit and memory alive.
Happy Birthday Cyn!
We love you!
We miss you!
We celebrate you!
