well, i might as well share my similar story. I just turned twenty four a few months ago. One year for every hour of the day... now im a student and i live on my own and my birthday is right around the holidays, so im usually broke for my birthday. And for the holidays. So my then-girlfriend was acting weird like 3-4 days before the big day, and i was feeling like shit from a fresh year of not being able to get anybody anything including her, other than a really lame card. But i got an A+ in my Cognitive Justice and Knowledge Practices hons. Course so whoopdee fuckin doo at least ive got that going for me. So yeah gf kinda comes out and texts that shes feeling sick and cant do anything. So i dont fully know why but i hadnt made any actual plans with any friends and they were all occupied so i spent the evening alone and sad. My best and oldest friend forgot to wish me happy birthday, and my only real friend in the city was doing something or other. I wound up texting her and pouring my heart out a bit, then went and got a poutine, sent a smiley snapchat, and three days later she broke up with me. Didn't anticipate i would feel this bad given that i usually don't usually have big problems with relationships ending, but it just wrecked me. Ive cried more in the last two-ish months than i have between now and when i graduated high school.

So yeah, i hope you dont feel too alone and desperate, its really shitty feeling neglected on a day everybody tells you is supposed to be special. I know you don't want it but: happy 21st birthday, i hope you find some silver, poutine-lining to the shitty cloud of a day. Best of luck in life and law school. As someone about to graduate i would say only this: try to avoid studying through depression. It might work out in the short term but its no substitute for talking to someone about help.

Cheers