Birthday Post

The best part of Facebook is definitely all the birthday wishes I get on my birthday. Lately I've been trying to limit my Facebook checks to only few times a week. It has become a time suck for me and I definitely needed to reset my habit of constantly checking it. But today, I'll probably be checking it often because it feels so good to see the happy birthday wishes from so many. Many of the people I  rarely talk to, but it warms my heart that they take the time to post on my wall.

It all feels so good but the truth is 4 years ago a shadow came over my birthday when my friend Ryan died on the 7th of November. For the rest of my life my birthday will be preceded by the anniversary of his death. He was 30 years old and will never turn 31. It's a sobering reminder every year to be thankful for the opportunity to grow old. To watch my kids as they grow up is a privilege that Ryan didn't get. Ryan was committed to creating community in his church, his neighborhood and his city, before he died he challenged us all to do the same. So every year, on the day before my birthday I'm reminded of my commitment to create community. I often don't feel like I do a very good job at it, but I'm working on it.

If you want to see a glimpse of the the life Ryan and his wife Jessica lived you can watch this video. Have the tissue ready.