for W3c validation

Via my very good friend Kayla:

I don’t know about everyone else or anyone else for that matter, but I frequently find myself feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of gifts my life has been blessed with.  From parents who love and nurture me, to a brother and sister I couldn’t live without, to friends in so many corners of the world – to my education, to my health, to my involvement with Esperanza – I really truly don’t think I could ask for a better life.  And then I realize too, how little control I’ve actually had over all of this.   I can’t help but wonder why I have been given so much – when others have been given so little.

Charitable giving and volunteerism are often thought of as zero-return investments, but it doesn’t have to be that way.   I encourage all of us to stop thinking that way.  Sometimes, improving just one life is means enough to give of yourself to something.   Ask yourself this:  if you were born into an under-privileged family, or into poverty – how would you view that person who had been given so much, but gave so little (if anything) back?  We each have time, and we have resources.  Are we using our time and resources to leave this world a better place for future generations to come?  I’m not asking you to sacrifice your happiness, or even to give until it hurts – but I am challenging you to be purposeful about how you utilize your resources.  Do you add value to more than just your own pleasures and personal agenda? I hope so.

I strive to. But that’s not enough.

And speaking of helping others, if anyone wants to start now, I could still use a bit of help with this project…