Happy birthday wishes to Brandon B. Timmons, Nov. 15, Drakes Branch; Keith Thompson, Nov. 15, Keysville; Regie Johnson, Nov. 16, Keysville; Brittany W. Perkinson, Nov. 18, Keysville; Martha Stearnes, Nov. 18, Drakes Branch; Joyce Smith, Nov. 18, Drakes Branch; James ‘Doug’ Burton, Nov. 20, Richmond. I wish all of you all of the love and joy. May you celebrate your birthday with your loved ones. I wish you many more happy birthdays. Happy birthday!

Anniversary wishes to Sula and James Burton, Nov. 18, Richmond. I wish you many more happy years together with God’s blessings.

Get well wishes to all of the sick and shut-in. I hope you all are well soon, up and about. You are in our prayers and thoughts for a speedy recovery.

Sympathy to all of the families who lost a loved one recently. Our heartfelt prayers and good wishes go out to all of you in your time of need. You have our deepest sympathy.

Thought for the week: A pretty face is nothing if you have an ugly heart.

Hello to all of my readers. I wanted to let all of you know that I appreciate all of you for your words of encouragement on my news. You all keep me inspired to write more.

FAMILY

I don’t care how poor a man or woman is, if he or she has family or he or she is rich. Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts. When you look at your life, the greatest happiness is family happiness. You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them. Family is not just important, it’s everything.

The bond that links your true family is not of blood, but of respect and joy in each others life. In every conceivable manner, the family is linked to our past and bridged to our future.

To me, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life. When everything goes wrong, the people who stand by you without flinching, they are your family.

There’s nothing I value more than the closeness of friends and family, a smile as I pass someone on the street or wave as you pass along the road. When trouble comes, it’s your family that supports you. Spend some time this weekend on home improvement. Improve your attitude toward your family.

I love my family and they know it, if some don’t they just don’t want to accept my love. My family comes first. Maybe that’s what makes me different from others. People are pretty forgiving when it comes to other people’s families. The only family that ever horrifies you is your own.

A woman can take care of the family. It takes a man to provide structure and to provide stability. As for me, I love all of you. My readers you are my family too. Remember where there is love there should not be hate. Love your family.

News is due by noon Friday. Any news received after this time will not be included in this column. News can be submitted by calling (434) 568-0596.

Virginia Freeman is a community columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at vstars@pure.net.