sweet little sixteen

It’s my birthday today.
My birth day.
Sixteen years since I held my first breath.
Fifteen since I took my first steps.
Fourteen since a cat scratched me and then my parents had to go back and find out whether the cat was dead or not.
Thirteen since I fell from the stairs.
Twelve since a TV fell on my head (no kidding).
Eleven years have passed since my parents first left me alone in a school building.
Ten years since my first tooth fell out.
Nine since the first day I was officially “okullu” at last, with my blue school uniform.
Eight since I started horse-riding.
Seven since I went to my first art gallery and met one of my favorite artists, Salvador Dali (then named my dog after him). 
Six years have passed since that snowy Ankara night my brother was born into.
Five since I started taking those long road trips everyday between Milas and Bodrum, and when it was the right time of the year, we’d see the most beautiful sunsets on our way home.
Four years since I started really getting involved in making art, something I’ve adored ever since.
Three years since my trip to Europe, and three since I’ve planted half of my heart in Amsterdam.
…
A year passed since we laughed so hard we felt dizzy, as if the sky was turning around us, nights of endorphin.

It’s my birthday.
I’ve spent sixteen years on this planet so far.

I’m sixteen today.