A Little Girl’s Dream at Her Cousin’s Birthday

This November 8, we went to celebrate the 7th birthday of Ria’s cousin, and it turned out to be a very memorable day. The celebration was held at Cassa Villa, and when we arrived, the place was already full of people—family, friends, kids running around, and adults catching up at their tables. The decorations were the first thing that caught our attention. There were so many colorful balloons arranged beautifully around the stage, and the lights made everything look bright and cheerful. It honestly felt like a mini-debut because of how grand everything was.

Their beautiful video

The funny part is that Ria actually had the flu the day before. I told her we could skip the party so she could rest, but she insisted that she wanted to go. She didn’t want to miss her cousin’s big day, and she said she would behave and not run around too much. I agreed, as long as she felt okay and didn’t push herself too hard. Thankfully, she looked energetic during the whole event and seemed happy to be there.

When her cousin went up on the stage, she danced so gracefully in front of everyone. You could really see that she practiced and prepared a lot. The whole setup—the big chair, the backdrop with her photo, the lights, and even the flowers—made it look like an 18th birthday celebration. It was the kind of party many little girls dream about.

At one point, Ria leaned closer to me and quietly said she felt a little envy. She wished she could have a birthday like that someday. Hearing her say that made my heart ache a bit, because as a mother, of course I want to give her everything she dreams of. But I also know our situation, and I can’t promise something grand like the one we attended. I told her gently that even if we can’t have a big celebration, we will always make her birthday special in our own simple way. What mattered most was that we were together, making memories.

Ria just nodded and smiled, and I knew she understood. Moments like these remind me that love and presence matter more than anything else.

More photos here