Keon is my nephew, and when he had a birthday last month, the party invitations instructed guests to not bring gifts for the birthday boy. Shocking, isn’t it, that on a boy’s 8th birthday he would receive no presents?
Instead, guests were asked to bring gently used clothes and other items to donate to a local charity, and apparently it was a smashing success.
Well, I am very much past the age where I expect gifts for my birthday, and I haven’t had a party for years, choosing instead to be in denial about watching another year pass from my life. But this year is a year for taking baby steps out of my comfort zone, so I’m inviting you to my virtual birthday party…two months early.
If you would normally want to send me a card, or take me to lunch, or buy me a cake, or maybe even give me a gift card to Sephora, don’t. DO NOT, I say, get me anything for my birthday this year.
Instead, I ask that you donate to my Relay for Life team, using the convenient little link over to your left. Again stepping out of my comfort zone, I’ll be walking in the Relay at the end of June, a month before my birthday.
Every little donation helps, no matter how small. If you don’t want to use PayPal for a dollar or spare change, send it to me in the mail or meet me at the mall and I can turn it in the old-fashioned way!
As to why I’m participating in this relay? Three of my four grandparents (my grandma, just two weeks ago) died of cancer. My dad survived cancer. Many friends have had cancer, or have lost loved ones to cancer. Too many people are affected to not want to support efforts in finding a cure and funding early detection programs.
I haven’t asked for anything for my birthday in a good 20 years or so…but I’m asking this year. Donate!
It’s past midnight and your nephew, along with his big brother, little sister and mother, came home from our Relay for Life an hour ago. We would have stayed all night if the boys didn’t have 9am commitments.
The luminaria presentation was amazing. I cried and didn’t care who saw. I found Grandpas luminaria and took a bright orange sharpie and added Grandma’s name to it.
The boys had a great time, staying 2 hours after I said we would leave…I had to literally drag them away. They each held candles during the luminaria presentation and memory lap. They understood how important this was. When we bought the best brownies I’d had in years, Riley knew why we didn’t ask for change from our $5.
They had a blast (the frozen t-shirt contest was their favorite…t-shirts tied in a knot, soaked in water and frozen…they had to get the shirt unknotted and on before time was up) and they asked if next year they can stay all night. What an awesome experience to do good for so many that are helped by the American Cancer Society’s research.
You’ll get your birthday wish. And your nephew will be pleased to know he inspired his cool Aunt Julie.
**sorry to ramble on…you know I blog vicariously through your comment section 🙂
Relay for Life has been an integral part of our lives for several years. (It’s where Kaylene had her first kiss, actually, but I digress….) It’s been 5 clean years since my 2 sisters-in-law were diagnosed. It’s been 3.5 good years since Kaylene’s diagnosis. But it’s been 3 years since my brother lost his battle with cancer and 2.5 since my sister lost hers and it’s been in their honor/memory that I’ve donated in the past…but with my mom’s diagnosis in December, I add her name to my list. I’ll make a small donation to your team in honor of your bday, but most of our donations go toward our family’s teams. As a family who has been affected so much by cancer we whole heartedly support the ACS.
Next weekend all 3 kids are running in the Susan G Komen 5K in SLC. A fun experience for them to do together…but without me 🙁
Deanne–thanks for sharing that! I am excited for ours here.
Peggy–you are so sweet to contribute. Thank you sooo much. And how fun for your kids to run that together! That’s my next goal, after this one–start doing ACS 5Ks.