In 1995 my very dear friend Carolyn, gave me a Zygocactus otherwise know as the Christmas Cactus. Although it was small, it was still full of beautiful pink and white blooms and I loved it more than the most popular holiday plant known as the poinsettia which were decorating my house for the holidays. Shortly after that Christmas my friend Carolyn was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away in the spring of 1996.

The following year, my little Christmas cactus failed to bloom around Christmas but I nurtured it just the same. Later that spring, one faithful bloom appeared on the anniversary of the death of my friend. I called my other best friend whom loved Carolyn dearly and let her know about the special little bloom and we both shared a cry and a laugh and determined that an angel was watching over.

Every year after that around Christmas or shortly there after a solitary bloom comes out on my little Christmas Cactus and I smile at the thought of that special angel looking down on me. A few days ago the most beautiful solitary bloom burst out of the cactus for this season as a reminder that there doesn't have to be lots of blooms on a flower for it to be beautiful. Just one very special one.

Ah, the festive holiday parties and dinners were fun, but now we notice a few extra unwanted pounds. No surprise that diet and exercise top the list of traditional New Year's resolutions, and with good reason. Not only do we feel better when our clothes fit easily, but staying active, exercising and keeping fit are known lifestyle choices each of us can make that will offer an added measure of cancer prevention.

But, before we finish making our list of resolutions to a slimmer waistline and better health, the inner naysayer voice pipes up to point out all the reasons why we should not even bother. The Entrepreneur Diet comes to the rescue as it busts the more common myths standing in our way to getting and staying fit, and offers a reality check to the misconceptions.

As we read the reality checks to the following top ten myths -- I'm not athletic, so even if I wanted to become more active, I can't do it; it's too late for me to exercise; exercise isn't enjoyable; a woman will get too bulky if she lifts weights; exercise is dangerous; it takes too much time to eat right and exercise; I won't be able to enjoy my favorite foods; no pain, no gain; it's inevitable that I'll gain weight as I age, so it's not worth fighting it; and I have to join a gym or buy expensive equipment to get in shape -- we realize that keeping the resolutions we are about to make are more than doable.

To read the reality checks to these top ten fitness and diet myths, visit the Entrepreneur's Work & Life column here.

Ho, ho, ho! Santa Claus arrives early and he is seriously underdressed for the season.

It's not the image of jolly St. Nick remembered from childhood, but it does reflect the spirit of generosity and giving. On December 16th, the sixth annual Santa Speedo Run, which started when a couple of guys thought it might be fun to spread a little holiday cheer and raise money for breast cancer charity, was held in Boston, Massachusetts.

Runners in little speedos, mostly red in keeping with Santa's signature color, donning Santa hats and white Santa Claus beards, benefited Ellie's Fund Care for the Caregiver program. The Ellie's Fund offers free support services, like daycare and meals, for local women undergoing breast cancer treatment. The Santa Speedo Run participants solicit sponsorships from coworkers, friends and family with 100 percent of the donations going to The Ellie Fund. For more holiday cheer, visit the Santa Speedo Run website here.

The Child Cancer Foundation -- a non-profit charity in New Zealand providing practical and emotional assistance for children with cancer, their families, and their health care providers -- operates solely from the support of its 22 branches scattered across the country. The foundation receives no funding from government agencies or other cancer support groups. So any bit of support they receive is a big deal.

Lately, the Child Cancer Foundation is making a big deal about Hyundai, the fast-growing vehicle brand supplying a range of SUVs and cars to the foundation. Five Hyundai Tucson SUVs and three Hyundai Getz will be donated, and the head of the Foundation will drive a Hyundai Sonata V6 sedan.

The Child Cancer Foundation provides support in the form of financial assistance, meals, transportation, accommodation, support groups, education scholarships, and access to holiday homes. It also contributes financially to research initiatives. The donated vehicles will help tremendously in the delivery of this support.

If you plan to send out photo holiday cards this season, consider supporting the youngest of cancer patients at the same time.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Target have teamed up and are offering customers the chance to order from four 4X8 holiday card options. Each option was designed by one of four patients currently receiving treatment at St. Jude's -- the only children's hospital treating patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Designers include Christina, 11, who is busy fighting acute myeloid leukemia; Genesis, 8, and Samantha, 14, who are both battling osteosarcoma; and Jake, 4, who is trying to conquer heptoblastoma. One-hundred percent of all profits go directly to St. Jude.

This St. Jude and Target partnership was formed to support St. Jude's Thanks and Giving program -- a national endeavor that encourages customers to honor the healthy children in their lives by giving to those who are not.

You can place your St. Jude holiday card order through Yahoo! Photos.

As Larry Stewart tells it, the story begins 26 years ago, when a week before Christmas he was fired from his job. It was the second year in a row he had been fired from a job the week before Christmas. As he sat in his car at a drive-in restaurant commiserating his untimely employment fate, he noticed the car hop was not wearing a warm coat as she worked in the elements of winter cold for nickels and dimes in tips. Although his recent unemployment status made his financial security uncertain, he decided to pay for his meal with a $20 dollar bill and told her to keep the change.

What happened next changed his life and the lives of countless others who would come to benefit from the generosity of a stranger. The car hop began to cry. She told Stewart he had no idea how much the extra money would help. Touched by her reaction, he went to the bank, withdrew $200 dollars, and then drove around looking for people who might need a few extra dollars.

Over the last 26 years, the cable television and long-distance telephone service businessman, who went on to earn millions after his rocky start in the working world, has given away over a million dollars. Anonymously. Stewart never wanted anyone to know his name or the name of his company. Until now.

Stewart has been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus that has spread to his liver. He thinks it is time to reveal the mysterious identity of the Secret Santa many in Missouri and elsewhere have wondered about for the last 26 years. Why? By speaking publicly about giving, he is hoping to inspire others to give. According to Stewart, "that's what we are here for -- to help other people out."

On Saturday, my three-year-old threw a tantrum like never before. His daddy was departing for a football game, and he was not happy. He wanted him to stay home. He wanted to go with him. He just wanted him.

Danny clung to my husband with every ounce of energy he could muster, and his full-force fit came just as I peeled his strong little fingers off my husband's hand, allowing him to escape through the garage door. Danny tried to escape too so I locked and chained the door. He responded by hitting, banging, and beating the door and screaming with all his might. No amount of reasoning could penetrate this all-out display of emotion, so I carried Danny like a sack of kicking potatoes into his room where I plopped him into his bed. I told him he could come out of his room when he was ready to be nice, when he could say something other than, "Mommy, you are not my best friend anymore." It didn't take long for Danny to calm down. But he didn't come out of the room. He fell asleep. And then my house was quiet.

Enter my five-year-old who decided he wanted to watch TV while his brother napped. TV watching would have guaranteed me some down time, but I don't really prefer this mindless activity. Just as I was trying to think of something productive Joey and I could do together -- coloring, painting, reading -- Joey announced, "Let's put up our Christmas tree!" Now? In early November? Almost six weeks before we will actually celebrate this festive occasion? This request was not really consistent with my holiday planning schedule and my initial thought was to squash the idea -- because it didn't fit into my grand plan of putting up the tree just a few weeks before Christmas.

Planning is one of my strengths. And one of my weaknesses. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's too stifling, too rigid. So in the spirit of the my new after-cancer-worldview, characterized by the guiding principle of tomorrow is never a guarantee, I considered Joey's enthusiasm for holiday decorating and realized his plan would just give us more time to really enjoy the season that always makes me happy. So I told Joey, "Yes, we can put up our Christmas tree."

After a trip to the attic where I wrestled with all sorts of junk and managed to gather all the necessary Christmas parts, Joey and I spent hours perfecting our tree. And when Danny woke up, he joined us and happily placed ornament after ornament on the same exact tree branch. And when we were done, we admired our sparkling tree in all its glory. On a warm, sunny day in Florida. On November 11.

Tis the season.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation wants help fighting breast cancer. So forget about fighting crowds this holiday season -- help fight cancer instead.

The Komen Marketplace is offering two specially designed holiday greeting cards this year, available for purchase on-line through December 8.

Prices for cards, that can be personalized with an individual name, a company name, and a special message, range depending on the card. One option costs $1.30 to $1.40 per card, plus nominal printing fees. Another option costs $5.00 per card, with no printing fees. For this option, The Komen Foundation will also print envelopes with mailing and return addresses. They will even stamp envelopes and drop the cards in the mail too.

Fifty to 100 percent of sales will benefit the fight against breast cancer. And 100 percent of the cards will spread hope and promise through messages like this -- The best gifts are wrapped in the joy we give to others. Happy Holidays. This card has been given to you as a special tribute in support of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital keep busy getting better. They keep busy making holiday gifts too -- like ornaments and ceramic plates and holiday cards and gift wrap. All of their hand-crafted creations fill the 2006 St. Jude Holiday Hope Gift Book, available now and jam-packed with powerful gifts of hope.

Proceeds from gift purchases -- 84 percent of each sale -- benefit sick children in every community in every country who come to St. Jude for life-saving treatment. Like Caleb, a seven-year-old boy diagnosed in 2004 with leukemia.

Caleb was referred to St. Jude -- where no family is ever turned away because of an inability to pay -- and received treatment for three years. Caleb is now in remission and expresses his feelings through his artwork.

Anna Grace, a five-year-old who was abandoned on a roadside in China when she was one day old, was adopted by an American couple and soon after was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her brain stem. After surgery to remove the tumor, Anna Grace was referred to St. Jude for chemotherapy and radiation. Today, Anna Grace is healthy and only returns for check-ups every six months.

St. Jude stories of hope are plentiful. And so are the kid-created holiday gifts offered this season.

Health care coverage for working Americans is like a brittle tree in a hard wind -- and the larger limbs are beginning to snap. Between the years 2000 to 2005, 6.8 million more people became uninsured according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. Current data estimates 46.6 million people are without health insurance coverage. As employer-based health insurance continues to fade, government programs are taking up the slack -- up to a point. But given the lack of funding, there is only so much that can be offered.

In a statement issued by the Center for American Progress, "These problems did not just happen: they resulted from flawed economic and health policies which force Americans to work more for less. When it returns after Labor Day, this Congress should act to mitigate these problems by passing a straightforward minimum wage increase and extend health funding for programs like the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Moreover, policy makers should recognize the need for major change, such as providing affordable health care to all Americans and taking action to address growing income inequality."

Some are calling for a government-based universal health care system that guarantees health care coverage for all Americans. Others are suggesting a mix of private and public health care coverage. What ever the solution, there certainly needs to be one.

We can start with a shift in perspective and change in expectation. If you are working full-time for a company, presumably your efforts are helping that company make a profit. Health insurance coverage should not be viewed as a luxury benefit, nor should the largest burden of health insurance premiums be shouldered by the employee whose earnings just meet living expenses. Yet, this is happening every day in this country. The hard wind continues to batter the brittle tree.

Personally, I am not sold on a government-run, government-backed universal health plan simply because I have covered too many horror stories about rationed care in other industrialized countries. It seems a combination of programs might be the solution but the government and our elected officials certainly need to be held accountable for implementing programs that insure all Americans.

American Public Health Association Georges Benjamin is quoted by United Press International as saying, ""This is the worst news we've had all year. Our nation is not secure if we're not healthy."