My wonderful mother, Becky, turned 80 last week Friday, April 27th.
I’ve been asking everyone I know if they’d be willing to send a card to my mom for her birthday. I wanted her to receive cards, before, during, and after the actual day so her birthday celebration goes on and on!
I’m hoping if you haven’t already sent her a card, that you might be willing to! (If you have already sent her one, please know how much this has meant to her — and to me! I’ll be reporting back soon to tell you the amazing story of it all!)
Before I officially ask you, let me tell you about my mom!
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She is someone who is always doing loving things for her family and friends. AND she is generous with people she doesn’t know, too.
You know how I send letters to strangers for my birthday? Well, my mom will always ask me if she can also send letters to the people who are going through a hard time. Last year, she sent some hand-embroidered dish towels to people, too.
She also bakes cookies and hands them out to hungry/homeless people around where she lives.
My mom goes out of her way to offer a friendly word or smile to people wherever she goes.
She is such a bright light.
You may remember “meeting” my mom in previous articles I’ve sent you … like the one about “What I Learned from my Mom about Joy” or “Reason #4354 Why I Love My Mom” or the one about Sister Ida and my mom’s love of books.
One of the things about my mom is that she has always written cards and letters to everyone in her life. Not an occasion goes by that she doesn’t send a greeting card and tuck in a $5 bill for “mad money.”
My mom is also really fun. She dresses up in crazy attire and participates in our goofy Holiday Hoopla every year. (She also lets us wreck the house completely! We hang decorations all over and move all her stuff around.)
One of her favorite places is Conneaut Lake Park, an amusement park where we always ride the carousel!
She loves Dance Parties!
If you wanna small taste of how goofy and delightful my mom is, check out these Dance Party videos! Here’s one from 2013. Here’s another from last Christmas.
So here’s my favor! Will you help me celebrate her?
I’m wondering if you would be willing to take 10 minutes out of your day to send her a greeting card for her birthday? She loves getting mail and it would be so great if she could receive lots of loving cards to celebrate her 80th!
(I realize, of course, that the cards will arrive after her birthday. That’s okay. That’s great, actually! I’d already enlisted a lot of my friends, who sent cards to arrive the week of her birthday. And I sent a newsletter out last week asking more folks to send cards. I want her to think the surprise is over. But then — NO WAY! — more and more cards will arrive next week or the week after! The fun just goes on and on.)
What to say or write?
In your card, you could just tell her that you’ve gotten to know about her wonderful generous spirit through me. Or, if you like you could send her an uplifting quote. Or, if you are a fiction reader, you could tell her about your favorite book — she loves to read! (She’s the one who told me, “You’ll never be bored as long as you have a book!”)
As an extra wonderful gesture ….
As an extra bonus oh-my-goodness bit of joy, if you were so inclined to offer an act of kindness on my mom’s behalf and then tell her about it, that would really make her day!!!
You could say, “I gave a homeless man $5 in honor of your birthday.” Or, “I sent my daughter a loving note in honor of your birthday.” Or, “I bought the little girl in line at the store a pair of pretty new socks in honor of your birthday.” (BTW, my mom is fanatical about sending everyone new socks all the time. Another Mom saying is, “You feel better about yourself if you have on a new pair of socks.”)
My mom especially loves family and if you did something loving and unexpected for someone in your family in honor of her birthday, that would be AMAZING!
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Will you do this for me?
It would mean so much!!!
If you are willing, just email me and I will give you her mailing address!
Seek celebration — even in dark corners,
xo
Sherry
P.S. If you participate, I hope you will feel the authentic joy that comes from doing something to make someone smile — even if you don’t know that person or may never meet them! It’s fun to put love into action! Everyone has been reporting back to me how much fun they had doing this simple act of kindness.
P.P.S. Here’s a fun photo of my mom when she, my niece, and I all switched clothing as a goofy thing to do!