HAPPY ESTHER DAY!!!

2017-08-03 · letter vlog · John · 2:12 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Global development, Personal life) · mode: Personal essay · tags: calendar ritual, fundraising ask, civic or action cta, community lore

On Esther Day 2017, John recalls Esther Earl's video about loving her family and friends, tells Hank he loves him, asks viewers to tell people they love them, and announces This Star Won't Go Out's Project Lovely grants of $5,000 for 13- to 30-year-olds.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Esther Day 2017: Esther Earl's video and her wish to celebrate love among family and friends

• ★★★ John marks Esther Day: seven years ago today Esther Earl made a video saying she loved her sisters, brother, parents, pets and friends, online and in real life. — 00:00:03 · Esther Day, Esther Earl
• ★★ John says Esther died a few weeks later aged just 16, and every year on August 3, her birthday, they pause to celebrate Esther Day, a celebration of love. — 00:00:23 · Esther Earl, Esther Day
• ★★★ John says Esther wanted special attention paid to the non-romantic love among family and friends that often goes unacknowledged in our culture. — 00:00:33 · Esther Earl

00:00:41 — John tells Hank he loves him, once a year

• ★★★ John tells Hank he loves him and admires his hard work, his relentless pursuit of decreasing world suck, and his love, kindness and patience as son, father, husband and brother. — 00:00:41 · Hank Green, world suck
• ★★ John says he will not say 'I love you' to Hank again for a year, and at the end looks forward to saying it again in 365 short days. (playful) — 00:00:53 · Hank Green, Esther Day

00:00:57 — Ask to tell people you love them, especially when it is hard

• ★★★ John hopes viewers will take a moment on Esther Day to tell people in their lives that they love them, especially if it is hard to do. — 00:00:57 · Esther Day, Esther Earl

00:01:05 — This Star Won't Go Out, Project Lovely grants, donations and Esther's memoir

• ★★ John says that after Esther died her family created This Star Won't Go Out, a charity that has helped many families of kids with cancer. — 00:01:05 · This Star Won't Go Out (charity), Esther Earl, cancer, This Star Won't Go Out (book)
• ★★★ John announces Project Lovely, This Star Won't Go Out's expanded mission: people aged 13 to 30 can apply for a $5,000 grant to make the world better; two will be chosen and followed. — 00:01:12 · This Star Won't Go Out (charity), This Star Won't Go Out (book)
• ★ John notes that the Project Lovely logo was made by Emily Cole using a font made from Esther's actual handwriting. — 00:01:19 · Esther Earl
• ★★ John says Esther loved the Project for Awesome and Harry Potter Alliance initiatives, and thinks Project Lovely is a beautiful way for her family and friends to continue her legacy. (hedged) — 00:01:41 · Esther Earl, Project for Awesome
• ★★ John tells viewers who want to donate to This Star Won't Go Out that they can do so at TSWGO.org. — 00:01:48 · This Star Won't Go Out (charity), This Star Won't Go Out (book)
• ★★ John highly recommends Esther's memoir This Star Won't Go Out, a beautiful book available wherever books are sold. — 00:01:53 · This Star Won't Go Out (book), Esther Earl, This Star Won't Go Out (charity)

00:02:02 — Happy Esther Day and sign-off

In the description and comments

• ★★ The description asks viewers to apply for a $5,000 grant from This Star Won't Go Out to make the world better. — video description · This Star Won't Go Out (charity), This Star Won't Go Out (book)

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 2017, seven years after Esther's video, celebrating the non-romantic love among family and friends she wanted honoured. (00:00:02)
• callback · The brothers' agreement never to use the L-word about each other (2010) — John says he will not say 'I love you' to Hank again for a year, and at the end looks forward to saying it again in 365 short days. (00:00:53)
• reminder · John asks Nerdfighters to tell someone they love that they love them on Esther Day (2010) — John hopes viewers will take a moment on Esther Day to tell people in their lives that they love them, especially if it is hard to do. (00:00:57)
• launched · Project Lovely: This Star Won't Go Out's $5,000 grants for 13- to 30-year-olds to make the world better (2017) — John announces Project Lovely, This Star Won't Go Out's expanded mission: people aged 13 to 30 can apply for a $5,000 grant to make the world better; two will be chosen and followed. (00:01:12)
• asked · John asks viewers aged 13 to 30 to apply for a Project Lovely $5,000 grant from This Star Won't Go Out (2017) — The description asks viewers to apply for a $5,000 grant from This Star Won't Go Out to make the world better. (video description)
• reminder · Hank invites viewers to donate to This Star Won't Go Out on Esther Day (2012) — John tells viewers who want to donate to This Star Won't Go Out that they can do so at TSWGO.org. (00:01:48)
• retold · Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — John says Esther died a few weeks later aged just 16, and every year on August 3, her birthday, they pause to celebrate Esther Day, a celebration of love. (00:00:23)
• reminder · John asks viewers to pre-order This Star Won't Go Out, Esther Earl's book (2013) — John highly recommends Esther's memoir This Star Won't Go Out, a beautiful book available wherever books are sold. (00:01:53)

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 · Project Lovely

Also: cancer · love · Project for Awesome · The Harry Potter Alliance · This Star Won't Go Out (book) · This Star Won't Go Out (charity) · world suck

Only in the description or credits: Emily Cole

Later videos replying to this one

• 2017-08-04 · Why Bullets are Good for the Environment (Hank) — answers — “Thank you for your lovely Esther Day video.” (00:00:00)