Compuware Australia Employee Helps Friend Make His 30th Birthday Memorable
If our friends are a true indication of who we really are, then Macquarie Park Sales Representative Sue Fine is certainly a great human being. She recently helped a good friend fulfill his 30th birthday wish in the most fun and giving way.
Her friend, Lucas, didn’t want to go on a pub crawl, or travel to an exotic location to fulfill a life-long dream. Instead, he wanted to buy 30 gifts and give them to 30 strangers on his birthday. Lucas wanted to experience how good it felt to give without expecting anything in return. He wanted to see the joy or surprise on someone’s face after they received a really great and beautifully wrapped gift from a total stranger.
“He ended up buying most of the gifts himself, but so many friends wanted to be included. So about 10 of the gifts were bought by friends,” said Sue, who helped wrap the gifts and assisted when Lucas handed them out. “It was not just a case of going to a store and bulk buying the gifts. Every gift was carefully selected and thought out so that it included boys, girls, young, old, toddlers -- everyone.”
Sue thoroughly enjoyed watching the expressions the faces of the recipients and those nearby.
“All the people, in some shape or form, were at first shocked, and asked what they needed to do or buy,” she said. “Afterwards, they were just really touched, and everyone smiled. It also caused some reversal giving. Someone gave Lucas a loaf of bread and, of course, he got a lot of hugs.”
Birthday hugs. At least 30 of them.
It's likely that most people wouldn't remember what they did on our 30th birthday – or 20th for those younger colleagues. But Lucas will always remember his big day.“This was very typical of Lucas,” Sue added. “He is a giving person and truly believes everyone can do their bit to make others – and their lives – better. He volunteered for a long time as a clown at an orphanage and at hospitals in Brazil and Spain, where he used to live.”
To catch a glimpse of how Lucas’s 30th birthday went, watch this video. Who knows, it may give you some good ideas.
It is such a wonderful story , such a wonderful idea that I have decided that I will do this exact same thing on my 50th birthday. That gives me 2 years to buy the gifts.
30 gifts to 30 strangers in Sydney from Lucas Jatoba on Vimeo.
Goosebumps yet? Tears in your eyes? Here's the second video that shows you a little bit more behind the scenes.
Making of - 30 gifts to 30 strangers from Lucas Jatoba on Vimeo.
You can also visit Lucas's website here. This is so heartwarming to see and to know that there are people in the world with such pure goodness in their hearts. I hope it's moved you and made you want to give back in your own way.
Sending you all good thoughts and warm hugs...~Stacey
PS: Thanks for sharing this Barb... love you!
