The Two Things I Want For My Birthday

If you know me even a little, you know that I am distinctly bad at asking for pretty much anything. However, there’s one day a year when I feel kind of ok about asking for something, and that’s the anniversary of my birth. Hey, that’s tomorrow! So, without much further adieu, thing 1 and thing 2.

The make-good

On September 4, 2011, a much beloved man, Trey Pennington, took his own life. Trey was a well-known person in the online world, but what got my attention was that everyone I respected and liked adored him. I don’t think I ever heard anyone say anything bad about Trey, and in these parts, that’s pretty spectacular.

Unfortunately, for all he gave to the online world, the hours and days after Trey’s death were, in many ways, a showcase of the worst facets of social media. Trey’s friends and family were trolled. People wrote blog posts, put together all sorts of things, all just to use the tragedy and Trey’s name to get attention for themselves.

For a year, I’ve been trying to figure out how this wrong could be undone – how Trey’s memory could be honored, how his friends and family might feel that the world of social media is not a bad place after all. As it happens, there is a way, and this is where favor 1 comes in.

Trey left behind 6 children. I didn’t know Trey personally (most unfortunately)  but from the posts I read, and in listening to people talk about him, I know his children were the light of his life. Well, his children need help. There is a fund to help Trey’s children, and the best birthday present I could get would be to see the number in that fund climb climb climb. Every little bit helps. It seems like the perfect way to try to add a silver lining to what otherwise is a most tragic situation. It’s quick. It’s easy. I donated tonight. Will you click here and either donate or spread the word?

The Pressure Play

The second thing I ask is a more complicated tale. It is the story of Colin Bower and his 2 sons. Colin’s sons were kidnapped by his wife and taken to Egypt, and he has not been able to get them back for three years now. Please take a second to “like” Colin’s page on Facebook and keep track of what we can do to help. Few things are more painful than seeing Colin’s messages to his sons that he can only hope they see or hear about. It’s high time those boys got home.

So, that’s it. Those are the 2 things I want for my birthday. I want to help the children of a lost father and I want to help the father of missing children. I think we can make both of those things happen, and that would be one heck of a way to start my newest year of life.

If you have any questions, let me know. And thank you!!!

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityhunter12/596426024/ via Creative Commons

22 comments

  4. Happy birthday Margie! What a beautiful way to celebrate by spreading kindness like this, I wish for these wishes to come true for you and also for whatever else may make you happy! Have a fantastic day!

  6. What a beautiful duet of birthday wishes.  I hope you also do something for yourself today, Margie, and have a fantastic day.  Wishing you the best.
    Love, Geoff

  8. Happy Birthday Margie. I joined Colin’s FB page. I hope that wherever his ex-spouse is that she can at least send him some information about how his children are. 

    1.  @sharongreenthal Hi Sharon – yes, where “here” is underlined at the bottom of that paragraph should take you to the link.
       
      If you can’t find it let me know! 

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