Esther Day 2013

2013-08-03 · letter vlog · John, Hank · 2:10 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: History & curiosities) · mode: Personal update · tags: calendar ritual, community lore, guest or collab, fundraising ask

On Esther Day 2013 John, joined by Hank, recalls Nerdfighter Esther Earl and the holiday she chose: saying 'I love you' to family and friends, 'a Valentine's Day for the rest of love'.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — John introduces Esther Day and the brothers say 'I love you' to each other

• ★★★ John marks Esther Day 2013, the day in memory of Esther when people say 'I love you' not to romantic partners but to friends and family, to whom it is harder to say. — 00:00:00 · Esther Day, Esther Earl
• ★★ both: John and Hank tell each other 'I love you'. — 00:00:18 · Esther Day

00:00:23 — John keeps saying 'that we met' and corrects himself to 'who'; Hank teases him

• ★ John keeps saying 'a Nerdfighter that we met' and insists on 'who', refusing to accept the spread of 'that' for people. (playful) — 00:00:24

00:00:47 — Esther Earl: met at LeakyCon 2009 in Boston (Hank's first major concert); died in 2010 aged 16

• ★★ John says Esther Earl was a Nerdfighter the brothers met at LeakyCon 2009 in Boston. — 00:00:43 · Esther Earl · also in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated
• ★ Hank confirms that LeakyCon 2009, his first major concert, was where he sold his first CDs ever. — 00:00:53
• ★★ John: Esther was a dear friend and a really important Nerdfighter; she died in 2010 at sixteen. — 00:00:59 · Esther Earl, Nerdfighteria

00:01:07 — Origin and meaning of Esther Day: spreading Esther's message of love between family and friends

• ★★★ John: the brothers remember Esther on Esther Day and every day by trying to spread her message of love. — 00:01:07 · Esther Earl, Esther Day
• ★ Hank calls love a great answer to what you want people to do in your memory. — 00:01:13

• ★★★ John recalls telling Esther the brothers would hold Esther Day on her birthday as long as they make Vlogbrothers videos; she chose love between family and friends as its theme. — 00:01:19 · Esther Earl, Esther Day, Vlogbrothers

  “a Valentine's Day for the rest of love”

00:01:39 — Sign-off: 'Hank, I love you, soak it up'

00:01:57 — Outtake: John stumbles over the Esther introduction again

In the description and comments

• ★★ The description asks viewers to tell someone they love them today, even and especially if it is hard. — video description
• ★★ The description asks viewers to support This Star Won't Go Out, the charity Esther's family created in her memory, at tswgo.org or by buying TSWGO merchandise at DFTBA (all proceeds to the foundation). — video description · This Star Won't Go Out (charity), DFTBA Records, Esther Earl · also in: Happy Esther Day!

Humor (significant)

• After John keeps saying 'a Nerdfighter that we met' and correcting himself to 'who', Hank shrugs it off — 00:00:39

  “That's just how we talk, now”

• Hank says he sold his first CDs ever at LeakyCon 2009; John admires how far he has come — 00:00:57

  “Still selling CDs outta the back of your trunk.”

• John tells Hank he loves him at the end of the Esther Day video — 00:01:39

  “soak it up, you won't hear it again for 365 days.”

Threads in this video

• milestone · Esther Day: the brothers' annual videos on Esther Earl's birthday about what she chooses (2010) — John marks Esther Day 2013, recalling that he promised Esther the day would fall on her birthday for as long as the brothers make videos and that she chose love between family and friends as its theme. (00:00:00)
• restate · Should language follow fixed rules of correct usage? — John insists on 'who', not 'that', for people, refusing to accept the spread of 'that' (Hank: 'That's just how we talk, now'). (00:00:40)
• looked back · LeakyCon 2009 edition — John recalls LeakyCon 2009 in Boston, where the brothers met Esther and Hank played his first major concert; Hank adds he sold his first CDs ever there. (00:00:49)
• retold · Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — John recalls that Esther, a dear friend and important Nerdfighter, died in 2010 aged sixteen. (00:00:59)
• callback · The brothers' agreement never to use the L-word about each other (2010) — John tells Hank he loves him and to soak it up, as he won't hear it again for 365 days. (00:01:39)
• reminder · John asks Nerdfighters to tell someone they love that they love them on Esther Day (2010) — The description repeats the Esther Day ask: tell someone you love them today, even if it is hard. (video description)
• reminder · John asks Nerdfighters to buy This Star Won't Go Out bracelets at DFTBA.com/Esther (2010) — The description asks viewers to support This Star Won't Go Out at tswgo.org or by buying TSWGO merchandise at DFTBA, all proceeds to the foundation. (video description)
• reminder · Hank invites viewers to donate to This Star Won't Go Out on Esther Day (2012) — The description asks viewers to support This Star Won't Go Out, the charity Esther's family created in her memory, at tswgo.org or by buying TSWGO merchandise at DFTBA (all proceeds to the foundation). (video description)

Where the stories that moved here went next

• Esther Day: the brothers' annual videos on Esther Earl's birthday about what she chooses (2010) — running; last: milestone, 2026-08-03

Mentioned

Central: Esther Day · Esther Earl

Also: Boston · LeakyCon · linguistic prescription · Valentine's Day

Only in the description or credits: DFTBA Records · This Star Won't Go Out (charity)

Later videos replying to this one

• 2014-08-03 · Happy Esther Day! (Hank) — refers back (milestone on Esther Day: the brothers' annual videos on Esther Earl's birthday about what she chooses (2010)) — Hank marks Esther Day 2014, recalling its 2010 origin (Esther chose love in families and friendships) and John's phrase from last year (2013), 'a Valentine's Day for the rest of love'. (00:00:29)