Patriot Day, also known as The National Day of Service, is a day for honoring those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001, by doing at least one good deed. Even if you’re new to the area, or community service has never really been “your thing”, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Look on websites like eventful.com and eventbrite.com (search for “volunteer”) for places and events in your area that appeal to you. Contact the venues and inquire if there is anything that you can do to help out.

Think about your normal activities and interests and see if they don't naturally suggest a way you can help someone out.

• Good at woodworking? Build flower boxes or bird houses for the local park, homeless shelter, Habitat for Humanity, etc.
• Social media is your expertise? Think of all the collection drives you could do for your area by reaching out to the people in your network—food, blankets, coats, shoes, baby clothing, sporting equipment, school supplies, books, board games, old phones, unused cosmetics, pet food and more.
• Do you have a special skill? Offer to demonstrate at a local women's shelter, at a PTA meeting, a fundraising event, the library, the museum, or a nursing home.

Young people can find volunteer campaigns to “make the world suck less” at DoSomething.org. There are also opportunities for scholarships.

Spend a little while today finding some way to help others in need, and do it! It's a great way to remember the fallen, and it's a wonderful gift.

Father’s Day is this Sunday...and we hope you’ve found a way to honor the dear old Dad in your life.

The interesting fact is that, even though this is a long established holiday in America, it almost didn’t make it onto the national calendar.  Why?  Frankly…no offense, guys…people thought it was a joke!

Mother’s Day had already become an established event when attempts to promote Father’s Day faltered left and right in the 1910’s and 20’s.  Newspaper editorials made fun of the proposed day for Dad and public proposals for it were greeted with outright laughter.

Why?  Many saw it as the first step to a slew of other artificial and commercialized calendar events, such as Maiden Aunty’s Day and Household Pet Day (which, in light of such other modern observances as Grandparent’s Day and Secretary’s Day, held a ring of truth).  

There was also, in the media of the time, a tradition of portraying pop as an irresponsible loafer.  One popular song was entitled “Everybody Works But Father.” 

And finally, there was the problem of dispensing the sentimentality common to Mother’s Day to…a guy.  Heaping loving presents and flowery sappiness to big, burly Dad seemed comical to most.  And also a practical problem; “Mannish-looking cards are hard to design,” said one greeting card manufacturer of the time.

Even though the first bill to make Father’s Day a national holiday was introduced in 1913, it took until 1972 for it to become the law of the land when President Nixon signed a proclamation finally making it official. 

Mother’s Day, in contrast, became legal in 1914. 

Dads, like the late Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect.

In a few days, we'll be observing Memorial Day again, when we honor those who have sacrificed their lives for their country.

We think it's important to remember that our veterans have been crucial eyewitnesses to history.  In that regard, we are losing a precious commodity at an alarming rate: our World War II veterans.   It's estimated that we're losing 740 from this group every single day - and over 200,000 a year.

Fortunately, modern technology allows us to effectively capture the memories of those who fought in the 20th Century's greatest conflict - through audio and video interviews that are easily accessed through the internet.  And not just YouTube.

The Public Broadcasting System (PBS), back in 2007, compiled over 3000 interviews with World War II vets throughout the country, through local PBS stations.  Those interviews, part of The Veterans History Project, are accessible online at  http://www.pbs.org/thewar/vet_hist_project.htm.

These veterans were also able to share photographs along with their personal stories through a PBS online story collection tool called PBS StoryShare.  You can search through this extensive array of remembrances by PBS station, location or branch of service, or by using a relevant keyword.  You'll find almost every aspect of the war represented in this massive database.

But we shouldn't forget our other veterans' service and sacrifice - and their incredible experiences either.  Fortunately, the Veterans History Project was expanded beyond its original World War II mission by the Library of Congress to include interviews with veterans representing all of the past 100 years, including World War I, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.  You can find out more (including how to participate if you're a veteran) at http://www.loc.gov/vets.

It's worth looking back at these amazing stories, even as we hopefully look forward towards peace.