How very generous

This country takes a lot of heat for being wasteful, arrogant and selfish, and I'm sure everyone can think of many times when this is true. In spite of our faults, we as Americans do one thing very, very well: we open our hearts and our pockets in times of crisis.

The recent tragedy in Haiti has been no exception. We took a special offering at church on Sunday. The local TV and radio stations held a pledge drive today, which raised $1.2 million in its first 4 hours. Allstate's matching donations to The Red Cross. And Percy Julian Middle School is sponsoring penny wars, with the proceeds going to relieve the suffering in Haiti.

I'm proud of my family for praying and donating; I'm proud of the local schools for getting involved, and I'm proud of the greater Chicagoland community for raising funds and welcoming Hatian refugees to this area.

We're by no means a perfect country, so it's good recognize when we get something right.