When my good friend Kim recently turned 40 she threw a tremendous celebration. She is someone who always thinks about others first. Her birthday was no exception. When guests arrived they were greeted by a woman who gave them two small rectangular pieces of paper and informed them that they were to write two things that they were going to start doing the next day that would positively impact their life. Then they were to use those pieces of paper as free drink coupons at the bar. We then had put a name tag on and on that tag we had to described how we knew Kim and when we first met her. I wrote down that I was her personal sangria maker (which is sorta true) but actually we met in 2008 while working at a non-profit health organization focused on reducing childhood obesity.
We were told that there was also a video room where we were encouraged to go and leave a video message for Kim. Her daughter was in charge of the filming and did a terrific job.
Kay and her husband Marion (photo: Reed)
So there I am at the entrance trying to figure out what I would do that would change my life starting tomorrow. That is a really difficult question. Think about it, what would you do starting tomorrow to positively change your life forever. I had no idea I would have so much responsibility bestowed upon my shoulders when I told Kim that I would be there to celebrate with her. Most other people had written something down rather quickly and went inside. I had flashbacks to my algebra final in the 10th grade when other students were finishing their tests and leaving me all alone sweating through the problems. It was about this time that I thought I overheard the woman who was explaining to us what we were to do with the papers say that she was Kim’s mom. I asked her again just to make sure that I heard correctly to which she said, “Yes, I’m Kay, Kim’s mother.” I stopped what I was doing and went straight to her and gave her a giant hug. She was probably a little startled but it was just my instinct. She must be a pretty phenomenal woman herself to raise such an amazing woman like Kim.
I decided to give Kay my $10 for the day! She said she didn’t know what she would do with it, but she would “pass it on to someone else.”
Cake being delivered to Kim (photo: Reed)
Kay, who lives in California, was in DC for her daughter’s birthday celebration. She is a supervisor for an organization that investigates welfare fraud. “It’s rampant, people do all kinds of things” she tells me. Apparently people go buy groceries with a type of food stamps debit card and then report that it was stolen or something and that it wasn’t them who used the card and then they get reimbursed cash for the amount of the card.
Kim is such a giving person, I thought I would ask Kay about her giving habits. “I give, but not as much financially as maybe I should, but I do give of my time.” As I have said many times here, simple gifts of your time and conversation are often much more valuable than monetary gifts.
I didn’t want to hold up Kay more; after all it was her daughter’s 40th birthday party! I snapped a quick photo of her and joined the party.
The place is pretty cool. It is part book store, part coffee-house, part restaurant, part bar, part… meeting place. I think the poet for which it is named, 
Year of Giving 