Birthday greetings in the age of social media have removed geography, time, and 44 cents! Yesterday I received “many happy returns of the day” from thousands of miles and decades of years away, from former colleagues, relatives, former students, friends of my kids; most of whom I’ve not actually spoken with or seen in person for many years. It was startling to begin the morning with so many surprising, happy greetings. At the other end of the intimacy spectrum, my work team managed to schedule us all off campus for an extended brunch celebration at a family camp in the beautiful hillsides not far from the office. The food, foliage, and friendship made for a delightful escape. Then in the evening family gathered for dinner, wine, and affection. So, Face Book allows geometrically more contacts without traditional limits of time and space or even familiarity. It may be only coded bytes magically transmitted through space, but it is still a manner of reaching out and touching someone. And when those messages recall a time and place when the writer and reader actually were face-to-face, the soul is still there. The Internet will never replace the brunch at camp or the family dinner, but it does let us connect when otherwise we might not. So, if you’re reading this on your birthday, “many happy returns of the day to you!”