Happy birthday YK

Today, YK's 16th birthday will go by without much fanfare. In fact, he's sitting for his English paper as I write.

He doesn't like making a big deal out of his birthday anyway. Of course, he couldn't protest when he was younger but now he insists on keeping it simple. I still remember sending a huge Mickey Mouse-shaped birthday cake to his daycare centre when he turned two. All the little kids crowded around, excited to see a cake as tall as the birthday boy. I still have a picture of YK, smiling shyly as he cut the cake using a plastic knife.

Well, he has certainly outgrown all his favourite cartoon characters now. Today, he's an independent young man who towers over me.

Like a true-blue Taurus, he can be stubborn and likes to do things his own way, which can turn out nicely because he's artistic and meticulous. He's also articulate and can seem very opinionated, I find it hard to out-talk him these days. Thankfully, he has a good compassionate heart and listens to my opinions and advice.

I can already see a typical Taurus trait in him, that is, a penchant for the finer things in life. It's a relief to know that he is willing to put in the hard work to earn these indulgences. And being such a generous person, he never fails to share his goodies.

He has always been an inquisitive child who has honed his keen observation skills from a young age. From his ability to identify species of insects and caterpillars, he is also quick to spot if a person's face is symmetrical or the eyes are too close together. These days, he focuses more on observing his teacher's fashion sense or the lack of it.

He is at this age where he wants to look his best. His teacher didn't approve of his fashionable haircut last week, so, back at the salon yesterday, the hairdresser said, "You again? What does your mother have to say about this?"

Well, what can I say? I was a teenager once.

To my dearest son , I'll say "Happy Birthday! I will always love you and I'm so proud to be your mom!"