The 12 Faces of Christmas – a gift

Each Christmas morning, long before all the brightly wrapped presents are opened, there is a gift delivered to subscribers of this paper: “The 12 Faces of Christmas.”

Readers had the opportunity to read of unsung good deeds by ordinary people doing extraordinary and diverse acts of kindness, good will and servant leadership.

These folks, without fanfare, step up in a myriad of ways to help families living in impoverished circumstances; provide gifts to victims of human trafficking; make sure kids have shoes to wear, volunteer as mentors to youth, insure a hot and nutritious meal and so much more.

They will never have – nor do they seek – aggrandizement, a wall of plaques and certificates or the applause of an audience for their selfless acts of kindness.

These community members, by their deeds, provide yet another gift – a gift to us the readers. This gift does not need batteries or an instruction manual, and fits all sizes. It is the lesson that regardless of our station in life, or the amount of our treasure, we all have the capacity to extend a hand to another and by so doing enrich a another life, and give meaning and purpose to our own.

This story was originally published December 27, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "The 12 Faces of Christmas – a gift."