Friday, March 19, 2010

Forty Birthday Wishes

I've known for a while now that I want to do something really special for my fortieth birthday. Originally, I thought I wanted to celebrate with forty friends. I still want to celebrate with forty friends, but I want it to look a little different. (In other words, I'm doing something non-conventional, I know that's so uncharacteristic of me.)

I'm turning forty. For my birthday, what I really, really want....is for forty friends to do an act of kindness or charity each, and then drop me a short note telling me about it. For my birthday, I'd really like forty short stories about small acts of kindness.

So, I'm humbly asking you, dear reader, please consider doing one tiny gesture of giving for someone to whom or for whom you otherwise might not. Then drop me just a brief note-- one or two sentences even, paper or electronic-- telling me about it. I'd love to collect the notes and maybe share them, anonymously, here on my blog to encourage others.

I'll try to pass out some cards about this at church on Sunday too. But since I have several friends who will read this whom I won't see at church---please consider this your formal invitation to participate!

1 comment:

Holly@aiminghigh said...

How about I tell you about an act of kindness my 20 mth old did for my 3 yr old today?...
I was sitting on the couch. 3yr old was at the kitchen table and somehow managed to get his foot caught in the kitchen chair. He began to wail. Just as I was getting up from the couch, I noticed my 20mth old come running around the corner to see what all the commotion was about. He worriedly looked at his brother and then at me and realized that he could get to his brother faster than me. With a mad concerned dash, he rushed to his brother and began to tickle his foot that was sticking out of the chair spokes. It took his brother by such surprise that he jerked his foot free and started laughing hysterically. My 20mth old beamed with pride while getting hugs from both Mommy and big brother for being such a kind, helpful little guy.
Happy Birthday! May you have someone always available to turn your struggles into laughing opportunities.