Family & Loved Ones

This post was originally posted on 7-23-08 on my previous site (http://www.thoughts.com/atippey/blog).

Family & Loved Ones

Today is my birthday! For the first time in my life, I found myself alone, away from friends and family. Or, so I thought. I had not advertised the fact that it was my birthday because I did not want to draw attention to myself and, for some masochistic reason, I wanted to be able to suffer in silence because I wasn’t with the ones I loved. However, thanks to the birthday announcement on Facebook, my idea of “loved ones” changed.

This evening I left for drinks with acquaintances from the conference I am attending and came back with friends and loved ones. How could this have happened in such a short time? Because one person who saw the post on Facebook cared enough to share with others that it was my birthday. Before the evening was over, I found myself surrounded by 8+ friends who genuinely cared for me. They stepped in where they saw a void, and touched my soul deeply. What I was expecting to be the worst birthday of my life, turned into one of the best!Challenge: What can you do today to fill a void in someone else’s life? What simple gesture can make another’s day? How can you become someone's "family," friend, or loved one?