A few weeks ago, Chrysler gave me the chance to test drive a Town & Country minivan. These are my stories...

As I drove around town going about my business today, I couldn't help but notice the abundance all around me:

• 10-year-old children chatting gleefully on their cell phones
• Recent college grads driving their brand-new Mustangs and BMW's
• Dooney & Bourke and Prada handbags carried by 14-year-old girls
• Bluetooths everywhere I turned

And the young people around me are so often complaining about not having enough, about not getting to go somewhere or do something they want to do!

So when I led my Girl Scout meeting today, it was particularly gratifying to sense that our eighth-grade girls "got it" that we were baking brownies for the folks at the Ronald McDonald House. As their leaders, we explained to them that the Ronald McDonald House (among other things) provides "a home away from home for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals." The surroundings are much homier than the families would find at a hotel and, of course, they are far less expensive. Further, they are with other families who may be going through a similar struggle.

We'll be preparing dinner for 50 to 60 people when we go there. But for now, we just baked up four batches of brownies to put in my deep freezer until we can all load up in the van and go in a few weeks. The girls poured and mixed and baked everything themselves. I can truly say that the brownies were baked with the girls' love and, at the very least, a basic understanding of what it might -- just might -- feel like to walk that mile in someone else's shoes.

As we loaded the brownies into my trunk, I think the girls all felt a sense of fulfillment, knowing that they were helping out someone who was going through a difficult time. And I believe that they went home feeling a little more appreciative of their own circumstances -- with an "attitude of gratitude," if you will.

I know I did.