Stories of Kindness from Around the World

The kindness story I am about to tell is a collaborative project, and it will hopefully involve you!   I live on Cape Ann in Eastern Massachusetts, and this Thursday, one of our youngest community leaders will be celebrating her 29th birthday.   Her name is Sara, and she’s is a very wonderful and hard-working young woman who has already made a big difference to the lives of many people in Gloucester, as the 2007 manager of our summer Farmers’ Market which she helped start in 2006, as the director of our very dynamic local arts organization, and as a wonderful human being with many friends, a great dog, and a fabulous smile!

I need your creative help to cook up a special gift for Sara’s birthday.   Let me explain!

A friend of Sara recent sent me an invitation to the birthday party which said…

“You are invited to the ‘beginning-of-an-end-of-an-era-with-Sara’ party!  That's right.  Sara is entering her 29th year of existence and would love for you take part in an out-of-the-box birthday party concept. "Should I bring a gift?" you may find yourself asking.  Well, first of all, a present is not required in order to be permitted into this bold and eccentric valentine's/birthday party.  Secondly, if you would like to give Sara something, she requires that it be, in some way, created by you.  These items may include, but are not limited to: food, music, a small skit, a dance, a witty joke (but please no long ones…if it's long, it had better be good), art (for our viewing pleasure), a short story, a deck of cards for a joyous game of poker, and so on and so forth.  In fact, you needn't even "give" it to Sara per-say.  You may just want to bring a work of art, for instance, for all to enjoy viewing and then take it home with you.   You probably have some imagination with which to conjure up something clever or be the star of the dance party that will inevitably happen. You won't want to miss it. Sara doesn't want you to miss it. All the other people coming don't want you to miss it.  DON'T MISS IT!”

Now, I don’t know about you but I personally was very inspired by this awesome birthday party design, and it struck me to be very in alignment with the values of the HelpOthers tribe because we basically all believe that making someone else happy does not take ‘stuff’ or a lot of money…  it just takes a bit of creativity and love, and we all have plenty of that.  

So, while I will be giving Sara my own personal gift (which I can’t tell you about otherwise she will recognize me when she reads this!)…   I would also like to send her an anonymous birthday card with a smile card and a link to this posting and your comments on the www.helpothers.org website.   So if you are reading this and feel moved to participate, here is my request…   

Please write a comment that is addressed to Sara.    Feel free to comment on her fabulous birthday party idea, and offer her a brief blessing (a quote or a few words about what you wish for her 29th year, a link to your favorite HelpOthers.org story etc.).   If you could let her know which community you are living in and writing from, that would be fabulous!   Even if the gift/comment is anonymous it would be nice for her to know which part of the country or the world it’s coming from!
 
The anonymous birthday card will be given discretely to Sara during her party and will have a link to this story, and will recommend she keeps checking her happy birthday comments over the course of this coming year… so while her actual birthday is Thursday, February 14th, 2008….  feel free to continue commenting if you read this further down the line.  One never receives too many happy birthday wishes!    The card will also let Sara know that if she becomes a helpothers.org member, she would be able to write a comment of her own to share how she feels!
 
Thanks for participating in this joyous birthday gift experiment!