When Twitter user Mills asked for 104 birthday wishes for his father, Gerald, who was turning 104, he couldn’t have anticipated the overwhelming response that followed. Mills’ tweet, accompanied by a photo of his father, quickly went viral, garnering over 423,000 likes and thousands of messages.
As the birthday wishes poured in, the tweet thread evolved into a beautiful tribute to loved ones of all ages. People shared photos and stories of their own family members, from young children to centenarians, each with their own unique tale to tell. The outpouring of love and support was a testament to the power of social media to bring people together.
Among the many well-wishers were some famous faces, including Mark Hamill, who tweeted a simple “For Gerald” accompanied by a cake emoji. Stephen Fry also joined in, writing “Happy birthday Gerald! xx”. The tweet even caught the attention of a local radio station, which dedicated a segment to Gerald’s birthday.
As the messages continued to flood in, it became clear that Gerald’s birthday had become something much bigger than just a celebration of one man’s life. It had become a reminder of the importance of family, love, and connection. And as Mills’ father blew out his candles, surrounded by the love and support of strangers from around the world, it was clear that this was a birthday he would never forget.
