People first, then money, then things

One of my favorite television personalities is financial guru, Suze Orman. She appears weekly on MSNBC, monthly in O Magazine, and you can find her books in any local bookstore. Suze has one of the best mantras that we should all embrace, “people first, then money, then things.”

As we look at the financial crises in America and approach the holiday season, I would like you to consider embracing Suze’s mantra. During the recent floods and hurricanes, thousands of people lost cars, homes and land. At the end of the day, most of those people walked away holding the hands of their loved ones and clutching their children. During Hurricane Hugo, I will never forget how my extended family sat around the dinner table eating these massive feasts, as we were blessed to have a gas stove. In the dark, we ate buffet style meals for days as we attempted to empty the deep freezer. Those memories could never be replaced by money. The little house was in the hood, we were in the dark, but we were safe, well fed and together.

This week, instead of lamenting over our individual financial issues and that of our world, consider the people in our lives that we could not put a price on. With this entry, I have included a photo taken five years ago with most of my maternal family members: the Union Heights Crew. Here we are celebrating the retirement of an extended family member. Numerous cameras were snapping at one time, thus, the facial expressions are priceless.

P.S. I trust that you are all aware of the devastation left by Hurricane Ike and the recovery efforts still underway from Hurricane Gustav. While these are trying times financially for all of us, please consider a donation to the American Red Cross.

During the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, I volunteered at my church and saw firsthand how ARC funds are distributed to affected communities. Yes, I know we are all a little skeptical about how our money is used by these large organizations. Yet, we all know that government funds alone cannot do what is needed.

Last week, CNN showed one of the most disturbing videos showing Haitians, who were also affected by recent storms, fighting for food and oil. CNN.com has info on how to donate to that recovery effort.