Who Is Going To Order My Birthday Cake?

Who Is Going To Order My Birthday Cake? 

She couldn’t sleep well because it was her birthday tomorrow. She was so sure that everybody would plan a birthday cake for her in the office starting in the lunch time. She was sure that birthday surprises would be continued at home. The birthday gifts… The latest phone model that had just been released… Her mom or her brother were going to buy one for sure. With a smile on her face, dreaming about the moment when she entered the house in the evening, as soon as she walked in, the lights turned on and they screamed "Surprise!” Not to mention the applause... She fell asleep with a deep excitement in her heart muttering it will be the best birthday party ever. 

She woke up early in the morning. She was thinking who will be the first one that ordering her birthday cake. She made up and wore the dress which she bought one month ago for her birthday. She knew well the first celebration would welcome at the office. So “All eyes will be on me” she thought before leaving the house, looking at herself in the mirror for the last time.

Finally, she arrived to office. There was a rush around. The board meeting which supposed to happen next week changed to be tomorrow. OMG! Everyone was panic-stricken, focused on the presentation and talking about the overtime they would be staying in the evening. No one looked at her face, not even noticed her makeup or her glamorous dress. “Come on Selin! Stop standing over there!” her supervisor said. “We have no time to waste!”

All her enthusiasm was gone. Desperately she gathered her curly hair with a rubber clip and set on her chair, then started to do preparations for the meeting. She worked, she worked and she worked till late evening and finally time was up. She decided to do the rest tomorrow.  She was feeling as if she is not so much valued in this team but of course, her family no matter what, will value her. She left the office and went home. She was sure the party will be at home.  

She was thinking that her family would be the ones that ordering her birthday cake. At the end mom and brother were the only ones loved her truly. She arrived home with theese thoughts but everywhere was silent. She looked for them, but nobody was at home. She was forgotten by her family as well. She went out with another disappointment, but what would she do now? Where she was supposed to go? When the walls came down on her, she decided to look out around and threw herself out. She walked, she walked and she walked…Then she entered to an old passage full of books. She saw a message written in bold on a book cover “Could the secret of happiness be hidden in expectation?”. She suddenly realized that she ruined her day. This message was proving all she’s had during the day. She made herself miserable by expecting from people. Whereas, people do not have any role to make her happy. This was her new year and her new age, so her new birthday cake. So, this time she decided to do a change in her life. She stood up and said “I am going to order my own birthday cake!’’ 

Selin entered the first cafe she saw. It had a cozy atmosphere. She ordered a slice of chocolate cake and a latte.  Then she said to the waiter: “Could you please put a candle on it?”  She sat down at a table and looked outside. Suddenly she was startled by the sound of voices. She saw the waiter was coming towards her and he was singing “Happy birthday, happy birthday to you!” All the waiters and customers in the patisserie sang along and applauded Selin. She was very surprised. She didn’t expect to celebrate her birthday with a group of people in the cafe. This unexpected celebration made her very happy. Selin had a birthday celebration which she could never forget. 

Selin realized that when she lowered her expectations of outside world, she felt more relaxed, more satisfied and happier. The world outside of us, has its own balance which we can’t control it or change it. We can just adopt to it. 

Only those whom, can experience the secret bound between happiness and expectations.

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