My father's birthday was December 27th. He is now 60. To celebrate this milestone, I threw him a party 
with 51 of his closest friends and family. About 60 people were invited, so 51 is a pretty 
good turn-out, especially this time of year. Even my father's cat, Bob, came out to enjoy the party. We had a lovely time, lots of good food, and hopefully my father ended the evening 
knowing how fond of him people are. In addition, I asked people to send me written stories about him which I compiled into a book for him. He loved it and it was also a big hit at the party. One of the great things about making the book was learning all sorts of new dirt about him, but also learning how many ways he has touched people over the years.
The party was a lot of work, but it was significantly lessened by the amazing help of my friends Sonja and Liz who came and were our staff for the evening. Most of my parent's friends thought I had hired them! I am just floored to have friends who would do 
that for me. It's a humbling thing and they worked really hard to make it a nice party. All the friends who came also made it a nice evening, and Sophia was quite the hit for the hour that she was there. Paul's parents took her home and put her to bed after about an hour. 
Sometimes it is just brought home to you how much love and support surrounds you: friends who 
will help throw a party for someone they don't even know, people who will celebrate the birthday of a well-loved friend, and family who pull together in times of crisis. It is just humbling to be part of a network of such amazing people. 
