Happy Birthday, Ken!

Today is my great friend Ken's 26th birthday! Friends gathered and we spent the weekend celebrating Ken and his birth. It was a memorable weekend and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. And as the weekend comes to a close, I wanted to take the time to express how much it means to have a friend like him. 

Ken is one of the kindest people I know. He is extremely likable and makes friends quite easily because of it. He is genuine and I admire his ability to see the good in all. When I moved to Beijing almost 2 years ago, I knew right away that Ken and I would be great friends. He has an amazing sense of humour, he is light-hearted, and loyal. Moving to the other side of the world is a tough thing to do, but it is made easier by people like Ken. I don't know if he truly knows how much I appreciate his friendship. He made the adjustment to my new life much easier. 

It's true that all of my closest friends are women. It's easier for women to talk to other women about womenly things. I've never had a guy friend that I felt I could talk to about anything: life, problems, family, work, my past, my present, and my future. I can talk to Ken about anything! He is an amazing listener. When I just need to ramble and have someone on the receiving end of it, Ken is always there. He knows that sometimes I don't need a response. I just need to vent slash verbalize my thoughts. He is a great listener. And gives the best bear hugs afterwards. 

Lastly, and this is definitely one of my favourite things about Ken, is he knows how to brighten my day. Face is, I'm moody. And I run on extreme highs and extreme lows. It's very rare that I'm just coasting at a 5. So, when I hit those extreme lows, at the perfect moment Ken will say or do something that lightens my mood. Whether it's making a joke, a funny face, or doing some hilarious dance move, I can depend on him to cheer me up. That, folks, is a great friend! 

Now that I've pumped your ego, Ken, I truly to do hope that you had a wonderful 26th birthday! I'm glad I had the opportunity to be a part of it! Oh, and PS - thanks for putting up with me :)