a little challenge for us all

I dropped my dad off at the airport today after spending a week with him when he came home for the holidays. As usual, he asked me to help him write some emails and check his grammar as well as other little favors that, really, I feel like I should be doing automatically without him having to ask.

At the beginning of every year, everyone is busy making resolutions, picturing themselves thinner, more diligent, or in love. All of these ambitions are great and definitely worth pursuing, but what about taking the time this new year to help improve someone else's life? Throughout my life, my parents have done so many things for me, and they never asked for anything back. Now that I am older and understand life a little better, I think it is time to stop thinking so much about myself and my own future and focus on making my parents' lives a little easier, a little less stressful, and a little more peaceful.

So here is my challenge to all of you (whoever reads this) and to myself: think of a couple of things that you can do to help your parents or someone else you care about and make their lives a little better. Maybe starting with our loved ones, we can truly learn what it means to be altruistic and to love life and expand this optimism and spirit to others around us.