SomberHappyDays

We're in the thick of the holiday season now. So you know what that means? The year is just about over. It's the most wonderful time of year they say. I beg to differ. It's a mixture of extremes - both good and bad. The bad - people getting killed over playstations, fighting over the absence of holiday paraphernalia in public, an unjust war raging, and leaders who continue to dodge the truth, lack integrity and accountability (and that's a brief list). The good - the Dems winning control of Congress (not getting my hopes up just yet), Donald Rumsfeld getting fired, and the general public finally getting the wool from over their eyes. And for those of us who were fortunate enough - we're still living. If you've got the essentials in life - then you've got every reason to be happy. Family, friends, a home, food, clothes, love, a decent job, good health - what more can you ask for? In the same breath, it's these things that so many of us take for granted.

We often forgot how fortunate we are. And it's for the many things we have in this life that we should be not only thankful but grateful. And if you can, to try to give back to those who provided for your and those who have fallen on hard times. Instead of going for broke on Black Friday and the shopping days leading up to Christmas, how about putting your time, money, and energy into something more meaningful? Like building up your community, supporting the causes and volunteering at the organizations that really need the help, or simply investing more into your own family legacy.

I don't mean to be on my soapbox but things have hit me a little harder this year than most. Maybe it's because I realized that all of the things I used to value don't really mean anything. And the things I used to worry about would only create more stress and heartache, which only makes things unnecessarily worse. There's so much that I have and I've only begun to really appreciate it. I cannot take for granted what I've been given and those who provided for and supported me along the way. Therefore, I have to continue the mission that I started while back in school. And that's simply doing for others what's been done for me. And it doesn't have to be anything big. Sometimes it's the small things that have the greatest impact. And it's not only going to be during this time of year. If I have my way, it'll year round. It all begins with us. So many of us say we want the world to be better. But if we want it to be better, we have to make ourselves better before we can expect the world to follow suit.

More to come later. Until then, I wish you all the best!