Birthday wishes to Josephine Taylor, May 4, Keysville; Michelle White, May 6, Randolph; Malach Gamble, May 6, Charlotte Court House, son of Sondra and Jimmy Smith, age 8; Clyde Clark, May 7, Phenix; Malik Ferrell, May 9; Madison Heights, grandson of Rosa Friend, Drakes Branch; Latasha Dailey, May 9; Flo Ratcliffe, May 10, Saxe; Patricia Friend, May 10, Drakes Branch.

Celebrate your birthday today and celebrate being happy every day. Happy birthday!

Happy belated anniversary wishes to Douglas and Sherry Wilmouth, April 24, Drakes Branch. They have two daughters and a son. May your marriage be blessed with love, joy and companionship for all the year of your lives. Happy anniversary!

Get-well wishes to the sick and shut-in. I hope you are up soon and you are in our prayers for a speedy recovery.

Sympathy to all of the families who have lost a loved one recently. Sympathy to the family of Lucille Douglas, Saxe. May God comfort each of you and bring your peace. Our heartfelt prayers and good wishes go out to you in your time of need.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.

Thought for the week: Life if short. Time is fast. There is no replay, no rewind, so, enjoy every moment as it comes.

Leadership

Your most dangerous competitors are those that are most like you. You have to have your heart in the business and the business in your heart. You have no power at all if you do not exercise constant power.

When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier. Whatever ought to be, can be.

What helps people, helps business. Today you are a reader, tomorrow become a leader.

To succeed, one must be creative and persistent. The nicest thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from. Strong convictions precede great actions. Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level. Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.

News is due by Saturday at 1 p.m. News will be accepted by call or text.

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