Nov 27

Nov 27 Aila is 40: Community Kindness Party Invitation

You are thought-leaders, compassionate humans, change-agents, and miracle-workers…

YOU ARE INVITED!

Please read this ENTIRE post—or at the very least, scroll down to the “Instructions”

Message from the Host:

This message is intended for the friends, family and global community that have all had the pleasure of knowing Aila Malik.

As many of you know, Aila is approaching a major milestone in her life, #Ailais40. That’s right, how can someone that has achieved so much, and impacted so many, only be 40 years old? Having the honor of being her life partner and self-proclaimed best friend, I can say without hesitation that Aila is the most energetic, empathetic, eager and earnest person that I have met. Her thirst for life is second to none, and most of us have to expend significant energy if we dream of keeping up with the execution of her activities. Aila is a true visionary in every sense of the word, always striving to create something bigger, always asking the questions, “what’s next?”, and “how can we be better?”.

It almost goes without saying, then, that Aila is refusing any of the conventional milestone celebrations. She doesn’t want things or parties to signify turning 40; as always, straying from convention, she wants to inspire us all to continue to make our world a better place. On my wife’s behalf then, please allow me to introduce the concept of giving back, helping those that are less fortunate and helping the world around you. Below, in Aila’s letter, will be an ask. If you want to honor her as I do, as she turns 40, please read on, and let me know if there is anything that I can do to help you in realizing Aila’s wish. Thank you!

Message from the Guest of Honor:

Milestone birthdays are nothing, if not a natural pause point for reflection and introspection. I’ve arrived to this moment with a profound understanding that “I am” because of my family, friends, and mentors. Together, we have learned from life’s richness and have been blessed with a relationship (perhaps for a season or a reason) that made me a (hopefully) better and fuller human.

If you are someone who shares, and lives, one or more of my values (see below), I want to invite you to my GRAND 40th Birthday Party. It is not an ordinary affair, because you are not an ordinary person in my life. It is the first of its kind and I hope it won’t be the last. Please come to my Community Kindness Party—a virtual celebration where kindness and connection is preferred over party-dress perfection.

Values I try to live and express in my personal and professional contexts:

Gratitude & LOVE
Compassion Towards Humanity
Sustained Balance
Equity & Inclusivity
Curiosity & Cultural Humility
Service & Civic Engagement
Environmental Consciousness & Conservation

I thought long and hard about who “I” am, what I stand for, and how I want to celebrate and honor my journey. As soon as I imagined what success would look like for me to both express my gratitude AND feel “seen” in a meaningful way. I imagined waking up to the wonderment and joy of “my village” honoring me with an act of kindness in the Universe and sharing it with me so I can get the rush of excitement, inspiration, and all of the warm and fuzzy feels.

So, this is an invitation that requires an RSVP (a commitment).

Will you honor and celebrate me and this milestone moment in our relationship by “being” just as you are and “doing” at least one act of kindness, no matter how big or small, some time during my birthday week (Dec 3rd – Dec 8th, 2019)?

“Party” Details/Instructions:

The request, specifically, is to do the following:

Complete at least one act of service or community kindness, no matter how big or small during Aila’s birthday week (Tues Dec 3rd - Sun Dec 8th).
- Examples: Donation of time or money to a nonprofit, or an act of service, like cleaning up the neighborhood, helping someone on the street, buying someone a meal, or championing a cause, etc.
Post a picture of something related to your act of kindness on your social media account(s) with a birthday message to Aila! Please feel free to share how the act may have impacted you or the community!
Please tag Aila’s social media account(s) on the platform you use and type the hashtags #Ailais40 and #CommunityKindnessParty (so that we can recall these pictures and make a photo album to memorialize this joy for years to come!

· Facebook: @Aila Malik and @Franklin Street Globetrotters

· Instagram: @Amalik1 and @Franklin_Street_Globetrotters (please tag both)

· Linked-In: @Aila Malik

· If you don’t use social media, please email the picture and message to: CommunityKindessParty@gmail.com

4. Please be sure to share this link with others broadly, in the hopes that we can inspire those to act in their communities…and just maybe encourage others to adopt this idea of an alternative celebration for milestone moments!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call/text Aila or myself (Kapil):

· Aila: 408-807-0612

· Kapil: 408-425-3008