A few weeks back, Matthew, Jack and I were driving in the car when Jack asked, "Do you remember when we had green eggs for dinner once?"

He wanted to do it again.

I explained we ate green eggs on March 2 as a way to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday and that maybe we would do it this year too.

Then I began thinking, and the three of us began talking, about how neat it was Dr. Seuss made such a difference during his lifetime that people celebrated his life long after his death.

I asked both boys what kinds of things they would like people to do on each of their birthdays in order to celebrate their lives - a question that was far too abstract for either of them to understand.

So I gave some examples.

For instance, I said, "I hope well after I am gone, you will use my birthday as a day to spread shine." I suggested they might do it by wearing yellow, baking yellow cupcakes, tying yellow balloons to their mailbox, and participating in Shineworks, so that the message of Shine would continue spreading.

Then I wondered why I should wait until I was gone to being celebrating my birthday by spreading Shine. So I decided my boys and I would start this year - October 7- by reviving Shineworks. Maybe you will join us.

If you've found our site in the past year then click here to learn more about what Shineworks is and how to participate. If you are a long-time reader and friend of the House of Shine then you will understand what I mean when I reveal that the item you must use is...

A cardboard drink carrier from someplace like Starbucks.

And, if you really want to make my birthday, pop back into the House of Shine on Friday and tell us about how you used your drink carrier to spread some shine in your corner of the world.

Shining off until...