Coffee Break {And My Birthday!}

 
And just like that… We’re almost through July! How is that even possible?? I feel as if I blinked and the first half of 2020 just flew by… Especially the last four months where almost every day seemed to blend into the next.

I’m guessing I might not be the only one who feels like that?

It’s definitely been a blur. Lots of baking, home-cooked meals, leggings and hoodies and house slippers (because typical business attire and regular clothes are mostly optional, right??), scrolling through social media, FaceTime and Zoom calls with family and friends…

And somewhere within that blur, towards the end of June, I celebrated my birthday!

Although I usually create a new birthday-themed dessert recipe to share with you here on Amy’s Healthy Baking (like these cupcakes from last year or this cake from the year before!), I felt like celebrating with a specific recipe this year, my all-time favorite chocolate cake… But something incredibly special still happened on my birthday, which I wanted to share with you!

So grab a mug of your favorite coffee or tea (hot or iced — I won’t judge!), and pretend you and I are sitting across from each other at a coffee shop. And if we were, here’s the story about that extra special thing that happened on my birthday…
 

 
We will never know how many lives we touch, but we will always know how many lives touch ours.

That thought popped into my head during my senior year of high school. I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. Time almost froze as the realization hit me and the magnitude of its truth sunk in.

It’s something I’ve kept in mind ever since, a reminder that often appears throughout my days as people’s words and actions, everything from the small and seemingly insignificant to the massive and monumental, influence the trajectory of my life as it unfolds.
 

 
We will never know how many lives we touch, but we will always know how many lives touch ours.

On my birthday last month, I was completely blown away by all of your kind comments and sweet birthday wishes. Every time I opened my phone, a fresh round of comments, messages, and DMs had come through, whether through Instagram, Facebook, or regular texts. Every time, chills rippled across my skin. Every time, my heart felt like it was about to burst.

It started the night before with a text from an unknown European phone number, a surprise from my sweet friend Brittany, whom I’ve known for nine years through blogging yet never met in person. It continued throughout the morning as family and friends texted their own thoughtful birthday wishes, many of whom I haven’t seen in months — or even years. After posting a photo of my favorite chocolate cake on my Amy’s Healthy Baking Instagram account and Facebook account, my eyes widened and my jaw dropped in sheer shock as your comments flowed in, so many kind words that it nearly felt impossible to keep up and respond to them all.
 

 
And still, the happy birthday messages kept coming. A cute emoji-filled message from one amazing AHB team member that put the biggest smile on my face, an adorable hand-written card sent from another incredible AHB team member on the east coast that melted my heart, a bouquet of brightly colored flowers from my family when they couldn’t celebrate with me in person… So many people’s social media comments about how grateful they felt for my recipes and how my recipes have changed their lives for the better, bringing so much sweetness and joy to their kitchens, bodies, and souls, including one woman’s Instagram post entirely dedicated to sharing her ten favorite recipes of mine… The most thoughtful message of all appearing on my phone right before I went to bed, one final text filled with deep and meaningful wishes.

People from all walks of life… Family, blog readers, recipe fans, social media communities, other food bloggers, old high school and college friends, their parents, past teachers, current neighbors, childhood church friends, new acquaintances, soul sisters, best friends…
 

 
We will never know how many lives we touch, but we will always know how many lives touch ours.

Although I joke that I have overactive tear ducts and will break down over just about anything, I usually only cry when I’m sad or hurt. But that day, I laid on my yoga mat and cried… Overwhelmed, grateful, and truly happy tears.

I had no idea that I had touched so many lives.

I had no idea that I had touched yours.

Every one of those comments and messages, no matter how brief or how long, felt like a thank you, a gentle reassurance, a tiny whisper of someone saying I had touched their life… And I am so infinitely grateful for how you took time out of your busy day, your jam-packed schedule, your never-ending to do lists just to wish me happy birthday — or even just read my blog. Just to include me in your thoughts. Just to take the time to show me you care.

Those simple actions, the ones that take so little time, mere seconds to write a comment, the briefest of moments to type out a text… They have the power to change a person’s life.

That’s what they did to mine.
 

 
We will never know how many lives we touch, but we will always know how many lives touch ours.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one who was completely unaware of how many lives I’ve touched. So often, I keep my head down and nose to the grindstone, working hard to test new recipes and create new treats to share with you, to write as many tips and tricks as I can think of to ensure your recipes turn out exactly how you’d like, and to respond to every email, question, or comment that comes through. When I slip up, when something doesn’t turn out right, when I fail to write every person back, I feel guilty, like I’ve let you down… And I try to work harder so it doesn’t happen again. I put blinders on, almost solely focused on the future, how I should improve, and how to better serve people, and I nearly forget about the present moment I’m currently in.

It’s easy to do that. It’s easy to fixate on minimizing what we think people will perceive as our inabilities, inadequacies, or shortcomings — and then attempt to prevent others from noticing them or try hiding them from the world. It’s easy to point out areas where come up short, don’t measure up, or aren’t quite good enough. And when we do, it’s also easy to assume that we don’t make a big difference — if any at all — and we might not matter all that much.

Although you might not be a food blogger too, maybe you can relate. Whether you’re a doctor, nurse, mailman, teacher, coach, caretaker, accountant, photographer, florist, stylist, firefighter, dog walker, personal trainer, virtual assistant, grocery store clerk, garbage truck driver, budding entrepreneur, full-time parent, unemployed, or even none of the above…

Maybe you feel like you’re slogging through it all, lost in the weeds, or treading water and barely keeping your head above the waves. Maybe you doubt what you’re doing, question your impact or worth, or feel like you don’t make much of a difference too.

The truth is…
 

 
You do.

You have already touched so many lives. Tens, twenties, hundreds of lives. Just by showing up. Just by being you.

Those people might not mention it to you every day. Maybe their acknowledgment and appreciation comes sporadically throughout the year… Or maybe only once, on your birthday. Maybe they’re friends or family members you see all the time. Or maybe they’re strangers who spot you in the grocery store, buying flowers for your loved one or gently kissing the top of your baby’s head, and simply admire and find you inspiring you from afar. So maybe, sometimes, it isn’t expressed at all.

Yet you still matter. You still make a difference. You still touch so many lives.
 

 
We will never know how many lives we touch, but we will always know how many lives touch ours.

And maybe this upcoming season, maybe this next year… Maybe this can be a time when we bravely open up, let that more vulnerable side of ourselves be seen, and tell people more often about those moments in which they’ve touched our lives. Whether it’s something as simple as gratitude for a thoughtful comment or something as immense as changing the entire trajectory of our journeys through life as they unfold… Maybe we can let others know a little more often.

Because, as I learned on my birthday, reading and hearing that acknowledgement, that appreciation, those messages of gratitude and well wishes doesn’t just affect one person… It impacts both the giver and the receiver.

It has the power to change both people’s lives.

And that’s exactly what you’ve done for me.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, thank you.

We may never know how many lives we touch, but we will always know how many lives touch ours. And you, kind soul, have touched mine. ♡