Before Christmas Passes You By....

Everybody deserves a warm and comfortable Christmas. I hope that everyone will take the time to make a child or a deserving family feel blessed this year. Many are struggling, others have hit rock bottom. There are parents dreading how they'll to pay the mortgage, buy groceries or keep the utilities on, let alone afford gifts for children anticipating a visit from Santa.

Remember all of the men and women that will be in harms way overseas protecting us from scum that have nothing but hate in their hearts while we're tearing open another present, downing a glass of wine or settling in for another football game. Pick an organization that provides gifts to our troops or their families and give 'til it hurts.

There will be more children going to sleep in hospitals across the nation on Christmas Eve than you can possibly imagine, some with conditions that make it unlikely they'll see Santa in 2011. There are charities that will make certain that each sick child has a visit from Santa and gifts in hand so that he/she knows they're loved.

There are old(er) men and women that will be alone on the holidays, some might live on your street. You see them every day when you walk or drive to your home. Don't forget to tell them they're loved, invite them to dinner with your family, offer to drive them to church on Christmas day or simply chat with them at his/her front door and let them tell you some tales of their life. Loneliness is shit and when you combine it with hlidays it's even worse.

Don't forget that the number of people that go to bed hungry every night in your community has grown exponentially since the economy went into the toilet. A $10 donation to a food pantry will buy almost 100lbs of food. Drop off some bread, canned goods, bottled water, baby formula, etc...

Toss your loose change into the Salvation Army donation bucket whenever you see them instead of dropping it on your dresser or rolling it across the counter to pay for a double mocha at Starbucks. If there's a charity that you know makes a difference in the lives of those less fortunate and meets whatever standards you have for giving up some of your hard-earned money double it this year and count your lucky stars that you have a roof over your head, food, warmth, safety and the love of family and friends.