I’m back! And… it’s my birthday 🎉

And yes — I’m currently working a 12-hour shift.

Honestly though, it’s been filled with so much love already. Text messages, a little dance party, cake…actually, a lot of cake. Happy 39 to me! 🎂🥳🙌🏼🎉

The shift overall has been good — but let me be real, all of my patience was used up within the first hour. You know how that goes. Started the day off already needing a reset, had a prayer session with our resident Reverend, and somehow found my balance again.

Then my sister showed up -with balloons, cake and a 24oz Sugar Free Red Bull (honestly, the real MVP because the caffeine was needed). We had a mini dance party right there, and for a moment, it didn’t even feel like I was at work.

Now let’s talk about the one disappointment of the day; my birthday coffee. It was supposed to be their horchata coffee….it was not. 😔 There was no taste of vanilla or cinnamon. It was giving watered-down coffee with milk. Definitely a letdown.

But the people around me? They made up for it and then some.

One coworker brought me flowers. Another brought in an ice cream cake and more caffeine! — just to celebrate me. And just when I thought the birthday love was slowing down… shift change hit.

And somehow — more cake. More love. More people showing up for me.

As if that wasn’t enough, I even got another cake — homemade, baked by a coworker and her daughter. Like… the effort? The thought? That meant everything.

They really made this day special, and that means so much — especially because today is also the 4th of July.

So, while everyone else is out celebrating in their own way, I’m here — working, laughing, eating way too much ice cream and cake, and feeling genuinely appreciated.

I even tried to end the night with some fireworks… and honestly? Disappointing. No real bang to the 4th of July celebration. It was dull and lasted all of 15 minutes.

But somehow, I still caught glimpses of something better — watching fireworks light up on TV across the country in major cities like Boston, New York, and Washington, DC. Not quite the same as being there, but still something special in its own way.

Because the truth is, having a good support system at work changes everything. It makes long shifts — and even working on your birthday — feel a little lighter, a little more bearable.

I really do have an amazing team. They show up, they care, and they make this job feel less heavy. And the reality is, they do one of the hardest, most thankless jobs out there — and still find a way to celebrate others in the middle of it.

That says everything.

Scrubs and Side Eyes
— Just trying to keep it together one shift at a time.