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Nowhere is this principle's power more evident than in its ability to shape the lives of children. How do we describe a parent's job? A parent raises or brings up a child. Think about that for a moment. The job description calls for parents to raise children, to bring them up. Not tear them down. One of the easiest ways to bring children up is to praise them for the things they do right! You don't have to be a parent to make a tremendous impact on a child's life. Do you know any single mothers or fathers who are struggling to raise children? Simple gestures, such as including their kid in your own family function, can make all the difference. I know because it happened to me. My dad left my mom when I was seven. I had two older brothers and a younger sister. My mom had spent fifteen years as a housewife. She had no marketable skills-and now she had to support us. She went to work for minimum wage. There was no money for child care. Fortunately, our neighbors across the street were concerned about our sudden change in fortune. They went out of their way to keep a close eye on me and my siblings while Mom was at work. And they included us in many of their family activities. I remember going waterskiing and snow- mobiling with them. My neighbors even took me along on their summer vacations. It meant-and still means-the world to me that they opened their 148 MENTAL HEALTH: HELPFUL HINTS FOR HAPPINESS hearts to me. Over the years, I've come to realize that in many ways, they saved my life. Without a father and with a mom who worked all the time, I needed the security of knowing that someone cared. Who knows what kind of choices I would have made in life if I hadn't had that security and love to fall back on? Maybe my late grandmother's simple advice sums it up best. She said, "Every time I get depressed or start to feel sorry for myself, I just do some- thing nice for someone else. It makes me feel a lot better." Thank you, Grandma Markham! Serve your community. Community service is another great way to love and serve others. If you have kids in school, get involved and help sup- port programs that improve the quality of education. Help with after- school programs that offer kids positive activities that keep them out of trouble. Community-based organizations such as the YMCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and teen centers help kids develop leadership and teamwork skills. They also promote healthy ideas about the value of service to others. Busi- ness and civic organizations such as Rotary International, Kiwanis, Opti- mists, Lions Clubs, and American Legion also give back to the community by raising money for a wide range of community service organizations. Part VI Total Health Recipes All of us come from different backgrounds and different life experiences. These experiences can fill our lives with light and joy-or they can trap us in unhealthy and sometimes dangerous behaviors.