Last week we issued the Golden Rule Challenge, as a way of inviting a community response and celebrating the many acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that are easing the burden on others and on our shared environment, especially during this challenging time. We are hearing your stories of thoughtfulness and caring and it is especially heart warming to hear how inventive people are in celebrating despite the restrictions placed on us all. Every evening at 7 p.m. the rattle and drum in our neighbourhoods as people clap and bang saucepans to thank the frontline health workers who are risking their own lives to care for people is a sign that we have something to cheer about.

But what about children, stuck inside unable to play with their friends? We have heard back from a few people with stories of how they creatively celebrated birthdays for children in Quarantine.

One family made a birthday sign and wrapped up a gift. They hung the sign on a tree in the child’s yard and left the gift at the door. They then called his mom and asked them to come to the door. He was so happy to receive a gift!

In another neighborhood – friends hung up birthday signs in the windows and chalked messages on the footpath. The family was texted to come to the front door and happy birthday was sung from the driveway.

So if you have birthday coming up in your family or know of a friend needing some birthday cheer. Get creative – and let us know what you did to celebrate.