Legal.

18th birthdays never turn out how you expect them to.
...They turn out better.
For me, this weekend, it was the little things that made this monumental birthday one I'll never forget.

-It was late night phone calls and texts wishing me a happy birthday. It was people falling asleep on the phone, but insisting they were fine just to keep talking. It was a phone call from my aunt early in the morning singing to me in spanish. It was countless birthday wishes on facebook from people I thought forgot my existence.

-It was a birthday dinner with unexpected rendevouzs and stark realizations. It was my mom genuinely caring about me, and genuinely understanding the way I felt. It was a super nice waitress who announced to the resteraunt that I was 18.

-It was my mom. It was what she wrote in her card. It was how much she wanted to make this a special day for me. It was my brother, trying just as hard, saving me a cinnamon roll, buying me roses, knowing I love smoothies and burgers. It was my dad and his excitement with sending me funny cards, and wanting to hear my reaction. It was my grandpa, who despite his hard shell, sent me a beautiful heartfelt card, with a nice check inside.

-It was the people who I least expected to care. It was one of my church leaders coming over to drop off a big bouquet of balloons and a present. It was a friend making cookies and dropping them off, as well. It was the guy at the ice cream place who gave me free ice cream. It was someone I only occasionally talked and joked with who came and gave me a Jamba Juice gift card, simply because she could. It was these things that stood out most.

-It was a friend who genuinely cared about my feelings, and cared that I needed to have a special birthday. It was a friend who picked up the pieces. It was a friend who knew exactly how to make me happy and made sure I had a night to remember. It was a friend who listened. It was this friend who made my birthday the most special.

-It was the realization of growing up, of moving on, of knowing the reality. It was knowing who genuinely cares about you, and who puts other feelings in front. It was the confirmation I needed to know that I was making the right decision, even though the decision is a hard one.

All in all, I had a birthday to remember. A great way to kick of my first year off being legal. Now, on to making it a good one.