True friendship consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth & value. ~ Ben Jonson

Today, I do not celebrate my measly years of existence. Perhaps the 100th year of survival may be worth a jubilation. What I truly want to commemorate is friendship.

Most of us will not remember the day nor date we became friends, except for those who keep a detailed diary recording the day I first did/said something crediting to my potential as a fellow comrade. The day we met & exchanged names doesn't count, does it? I don't think we had the slightest idea, at that initial introduction, what was to like or dislike about each other. Unless you're psychic or psycho, we could not possibly predict that we'd still be friends now.

A friend, by dictionary definition, is a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. He/she is also someone who gives assistance &/or support - someone on good terms with another, "anti-foe".

Among you, there are some whom I loved from the beginning. There were also others who seemed a little different and more unpredictable. But the one common trait amidst all you present pals is that our friendships evolved in the most phenomenal qualitative (not quantitative) ways.

Our friendships fly on its own. We fly on our own. It does not rely on being together regularly nor the need to gossip or share our darkest secrets. I could have been home alone today & I would still be reasonably happy with my life because some bunnies (& kitties) love me.

So there I was - not throwing an outrageous bash with 100 acquaintances I hardly know the names of - but with, & by specific choice, the finest selection of buddies anyone could ever hope to have.

When/if I reach my centennial anniversary, although I'm not quite sure if longevity is my heartfelt wish, I sincerely hope that you first-class, top-notch friends will have minds agile enough to challenge me on a simple game of UNO. Haha.

Thank you, 谢谢您, Kum Sia, Merci, Danke, Dank u, Grazie, "Hum-sa-mi-da", Bbl, Gracias, Khaawp Khoon Kha, Köszönöm, Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu...