It meant going to school with blackforrest birthday cakes and pretty hair ribbons.
It meant I was the envy of all the boys and girls in kindergarten, with gifts of pink lollipops, and apple flavoured gummies.
It meant excitement.
At 8,
It meant Daddy coming home early with a birthday cake and McDonald's nuggets.
It meant wishing upon the candle wick that I'll grow up to be pretty and smart.
It meant simple, uncomplicated joy.
At 10,
Birthdays meant lots of friends, slumber parties and sweet valley kids books.
It meant going for water-rides in Sentosa, eating popcorns and hotdogs.
It meant fun.
At 12,
It meant having a new little brother who commanded everyone's attention.
It meant tolerating your Mother's post-natal depression - yelling, crying and bearing the brunt for everything that went wrong in the house.
It meant responsibilities.
At 15,
It meant being asked out on a date, with a single stalk of rose and earrings from Perlini's Silver.
It meant trying to look nonchalent when he tried to hold your sweaty palms to cross the road.
It meant a whole night of insomnia, feeling dizzy with the thought of having a boyfriend.
It meant the taste of first-love.
At 18,
It meant that Daddy couldn't come home and nobody remembered.
It meant putting on a brave front despite all the screaming, anger, and flying objects.
It meant nursing a boyfriend problem.
It meant hours of crying under the table, and blowing out a single candle by myself.
It meant sadness.
At 20,
It meant going moving away from home to live on campus, without your parents.
It meant making new friends, clubbing and drinking for the first time.
It meant cussing like a sailor.
It meant a new found sexuality.
It meant freedom.
At 22,
It meant being in-love, and being loved.
It meant a familiar scent, your favourite wine, and a quiet celebration with the family eating crabs at Toa Payoh.
It meant contentment.
At 24,
It meant working in front of your computer.
It meant numbing yourself with episodes of transient happiness.
It meant crying your eyes out because you feel all sucky and you don't really know what you want to do with your life and you have nobody to speak to.
It meant loneliness.
