Today is my birthday.

Today is also Blog Action Day and the topic is poverty.

Today I am taking the time to be thankful for the opportunities I have had. I am thankful for the roof over my head, a supportive husband, great friends, a stable job, and the ability to put food on the table.

70% of those living in poverty around the world are women and poverty rates are highest for women who are the head of a family.

I was a single mom once and had a wonderful mentor who helped me apply for financial aid to go to school. She helped me find my niche and get started in a great career that I could use to support my family.

Worldwide, 72 million children of primary school age — more than half of whom are girls — are not in school. —CARE

Help women break free of the cycle of poverty. Donate, volunteer, mentor. Do what you can, but definitely do something.