Feeling good about my December birthday
by Rachel
I’m a December baby. Those of you with birthdays around the holidays will be able to empathize: birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper, friends who care more about ringing in the New Year than watching you blow out your candles, people forgetting your birthday altogether. One year even my parents forgot my birthday!
Back in September, The Avril Lavigne Foundation celebrated Avril’s birthday by creating a Rockstar Room for her fans and encouraging them to donate to her cause. I was so inspired by this idea that I decided to do something a little different for my birthday this year as well.
Ann Curry posted an inspiring status update on Facebook after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December, and that’s when I got the idea. Rather than wishing me a happy birthday on my Facebook wall, I challenged my friends to do a random act of kindness and post that on my wall instead. They came up with great stuff.
One friend paid for the car behind her at the Starbucks drive thru and another donated pet beds and food to the shelter where she’d adopted her dog. One friend stopped to talk to a homeless man he sees on his way home every day and gave him a Christmas card, and someone else paid for a woman’s leg brace while at a doctor’s office because her insurance wouldn’t cover it.
I am so proud of my friends, and as a “gift” to myself I made a donation to one of my favorite charities. It feels good to give, especially when the gifts are the type that keep on giving, like these do. Thanks to everyone who rememberred my December birthday in such a special way this year!