The older you get, the better you get - unless you're a banana. - Betty White

Thanks, Betty. Until today I had never thought about bananas screwing it up in such way, haha!

Anyways, ever since I can remember I've loved birthdays!

I love the constant excitement for eventual surprises to happen, I love receiving uncountable heart-warming congratulations, and I sincerely love these milestones since they show us how far we've come and how lucky we are being born into this world.

Here's how my recent birthday became so special.

Picture: @surfermarly on her 36th bday

There's a princess inside all of us 👠

364 days a year I'm rather one of these "easy-going-jeans-and-t-shirt-tomboy-style-girls" 😉

But on my birthday I enjoy going to the hairdresser, having a massage, some facial treatments, putting on a nice dress as well as some make-up, and going out for dinner to a fancy and expensive restaurant.

Since I turned 36, these beauty procedures are taking their time now. LOL

Comment from my hairdresser on my birthday: "Oh wow, you're growing a lot of grey ones!" Me: "Ehm, yeah thanks. That is probably the cutest thing I've heard so far today. Haha!"

Besides these superficialities , I totally cherish surprises!

Surprise is the greatest gift life can grant us. - Boris Pasternak

I couldn't agree more, Boris!

There is nothing more powerful and touching than the unexpected.

On a scale from 1 to 10, this year's birthday surprise was a 12! 👌

These pictures are worth a thousand words, but to give you an idea of the whole story, here is what happened in detail:

I was just posing for a birthday picture, holding that tiny little chocolate muffin with a candle on it in my hand, when suddenly the door bell rang.

When I turned my head around towards the entrance the only thing I could see was a huge bunch of flowers. Then a man appeared behind it.

I threw that muffin away and ran towards the messenger.

Unfortunately that sequence wasn't recorded on a video tape. It would have been funny listening me shouting out while running towards that guy:

"This is for meeeeeeeeeeeee. It's my birthdaaaayyyyyyyy."

The messenger smiled and replied: "Yeah I already imagined that." He looked down on his paper and said: "You must be Marly."

"Yeeeeah that's me!!!" I laughed, snatching him the bunch away.

These were the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen in my life.

However, the fact that they were given to me by surprise was even more valuable and converted the whole thing into something MAGICAL.

Surprise someone today!

We don't need birthdays to make other people happy. Do we? 😊

Have a great weekend, steemians!

Marly -

Original content: photography taken by myself. Quote found on pinterest