The True Spirit of the Season

I am lucky enough to work at a local nonprofit. I work someplace where all of my colleagues feel like family and I feel good about the hard work I put it...in the end it helps someone in need.

Today, I had the honor of experiencing the true spirit of the season. We had a donor give us 300 Christmas trees. This morning we distributed these trees to the people we serve. There were families with huge smiles on their faces, thanking the volunteers profusely. There were individuals explaining what this tree meant after a year of cancer or a lost job. There were tears of unexplained happiness and surprise. And, for a small moment, I was part of their life. I had helped make it happen.

I truly feel blessed in my life for all that I do. And, I feel like these people, every single day, have given me a gift. This gift reminds me to be humble, compassionate, helpful and...all in all...to be a good neighbor. In the state of Arizona, there are 686,000 people who aren't sure whether they will eat today. This blows me away. It inspires me to do all I can to help those who find themselves in need. I never know whether I will find myself in a situation when I will need help, but it may be these individuals that will provide me it.

There is so much emotion running through me right now and so many thoughts. Contemplating all that has occurred today, reminds me that this is not unusual for millions of Americans. This is what they know every day--whether they are giving or receiving. After today, I have a hard time believing that people are intrinsically bad...there is too much good in the world.