Today, GG & BB turn 21! I can’t believe where the time flew. I remember bringing them back from the hospital as tiny babies who each fit the length of my forearm and today BB towers over me while GG is just a tad shorter than me. Today, they are legal adults in Singapore and can and should make their own decisions. I wonder how long it will take for me to crack and go to being my usual motherly, naggy self. 

This blog also owes them a great deal. I started this space when they were about seven and used to document their lives. Readers who have been following me from that time will remember the weekly updates I used to do for every year of their school life – from the stress of PSLE to secondary school admissions to getting their EAE offers to their O levels, everything was documented here. Many of my blog posts are also a reaction to a particular stage in their life journey. My current series, Adulting 101 is because of where they stand today, as was my previous posts based on where they were and what issues faced children of that age. Even the first short story I wrote, way back in 2011, was about them! I should restart that series – for those who joined late, I wrote a few stories about two monkeys, Chiki and Chica and the stories were either inspired by GG & BB or were things, I was sure would have happened to them!

GG, you take your role as an older sister very seriously and even though you are only two minutes older than BB, you are like a second mum to him. I am sure even if BB does not appreciate this now, as he grows older, he will realise how blessed he is to have you in his life, as someone who is there looking out for him and keeping his best interests at the forefront.

GG, I am so appreciative of how far you have come in the last 10 years – from doing badly in your PSLE exams to fighting back and transferring to the express stream in secondary 3, to acing your EAE interview and getting admission to a course you enjoy and doing reasonably well in the course to getting a place in a public university. As I write this blog post, you have just registered to apply for the CA Singapore Foundation exams. I look forward to enjoying this journey and supporting you as a Singapore Chartered Accountant. However, it will take some time before this journey concludes. I am very proud of you, my sweet, smart and hardworking girl, my daughter, and my friend.  

BB, you continue to be the sweet boy you always were, though there are times you exasperate me! After school, you joined the course you wanted, but somewhere down the line, lost your focus which resulted in the GPA you graduated with. Now that you are in national service and doing something similar to your diploma, hopefully, you realise the importance of having a university degree and work toward that. 

BB, there is so much potential in you that sometimes, I worry about all that you are not achieving because of this. I think back to those times when you would come to me for everything, today the roles have reversed. It is me and Dad coming to you for advice on tech and things that we do not know well. I hope that in the next year or so you get your priorities straightened out and come into your full potential and lead the life you were always meant to. I am looking forward to that and look to planning and journeying alongside you. I am super proud to call you my son, a young man who is loyal, smart and is someone with a big heart. I hope you continue to keep giving me the hugs and kisses like you used to do when you were little. 

So Happy 21st Birthday GG & BB! My only advice to you as you begin to live life as a legal adult is to always be mindful of the choices you make in life, whatever you choose, do it responsibly and for the right reasons and make sure you give everything your 110% and have fun doing it!

And when you have your respective partners, remember to never forget each other and be there for your sibling.

Enjoy the rest of your life…