Think about giving back

For those of you celebrating a religious holiday today, Merry Christmas.  For the rest of us, Happy Holidays. I’ll be enjoying dinner with friends, their young children and their family.

Many things will be opened today but when I spend time with these kids (ages 1 & 3) I am reminded it is our obligation to make a better world for them.  In the four decades since I was that age many things have improved – increased equality for example.  But many have gotten worse, such as air pollution.

In 2010 consider giving back to your community.   We typically have a surplus of money or time – rarely both.  Give what you can.  A good place to start is the United Way of St. Louis Volunteer Center.  Maybe your passion is around animals, education, or the elderly.  Whatever your passion, there is likely to be a way to help others.  So enjoy your new things today but next week please start searching for ways to combine your interests with helping the community.

And please recycle wrapping paper, packaging and boxes.

– Steve Patterson