Give 'til it feels good!

Stop the presses! Scientists have just proven the persistent rumor: It really is better to give than to receive.

If happiness is your goal, that is.

Researchers at Harvard and the University of British Columbia studied 632 Americans, and rated their general state of happiness. Then they asked each how much they spent on paying bills, buying things for themselves, buying gifts, and giving to charity.

The study turned up a staggering fact: Spending money on yourself does not make you a happier person. (Uh huh. But I still want those new Uggs.) Spending money on others does! (<sigh> OK, no Uggs.) Also, how giving you are matters more to your happiness than how much money you have. So even giving $5 every now and then can result in more happiness for you. And, presumably, the same goes for your kids.

Again: giving=happy. Having stuff=not so much.

So I had a thought: How about we make ourselves happier by helping little homeless kids? I mean, who needs help more than them? And where can these kids go while their parents work, trying to better their lives? For thousands of families in our area, the answer is MorningsongEarlyLearningCenter, which has just announced a penny drive to raise money to add four new classrooms and a family support center to their (wait-listed) facility. You can donate, or start your own penny drive with your kids; email or call 206-826-3038 for info.

Homeless children. Two words that should never, ever go together.