Giving must not be forgotten this season

On your marks, get set ...

Wait, everyone’s already gone. The Christmas shopping season is

officially more than a week old now. The wallets are well-used. The

purses are pooped. Presents are hidden away in closets, garages and

basements.

And there’s more to come. So much more.

It all speaks to the great benefits of life in Newport-Mesa. While

the rest of the country struggles economically, this area avoids

bubble bursting. When real estate prices across the state and the

country continue to climb, steadily and surely, real estate here

shoots through the roof and keeps on going.

And when the holiday shopping season begins, it begins with a

bang, with thousand-dollar items flying out the stores. On the Friday

after Thanksgiving, crowds were stuffed together at area stores,

especially those at Fashion Island and South Coast Plaza.

Yes, fortune -- and the fortunate -- thrive here.

But the less fortunate live here too. Homeless families seek

shelter at night within walking distance of our grand shopping

centers. People struggling to make enough money to pay rent and to

buy food pass designer stores and even million-dollar homes on their

way to work. Children trying to master the English language even as

they have to master their multiplication tables sit in class

alongside their more fortunate schoolmates.

But they have their fortune, too, for the spirit of the holiday

season is vast and wide here. Organizations adopt families to ensure

their holiday happiness. Charities become well-stocked with food,

clothing and toys. Many of the better off among us spend time aiding

others.

But, always, more can be done. An extra hour tutoring a student;

an extra trip to donate clothes; or one more check to one of the many

charities that can do so much good here.

A little bit more can make a whole lot of difference this holiday

season, both for the person who gets the gift and the one giving it.