Daniel J. Paul

There are special moments that occur in one’s life that really stand out and stick with you; they seem to be frozen in time with every detail embedded in our memory. For me, I’ve been blessed to have a large number of these experiences, but there is one recent memory that really stands out. It involves a small bag of chocolates.

The day began with my preparation for being Santa’s Helper at a Christmas party for a local organization that supports disabled adults. As I was gathering the suit and other items, something told me to grab a small bag of Christmas chocolates to take to the Christmas party. I found a holiday bag and carefully placed the chocolates inside, accompanied with red tissue covering the top.

Upon entering the party, I saw individuals bringing gifts (for the gift exchange) to a table located towards the front of the room. Around the same time, I noticed a woman seated in the back of the room. Immediately, I sensed something was wrong, as she had such a forlorn look on her face. I went over to her, sat down next to her, and asked what was wrong. She said her name was Mary (not her real name). Then, tears began to well up in her eyes and with a very shaky voice, told me she hadn’t brought a gift for the gift exchange because she couldn’t afford one.

Suddenly, it all made sense to me! I told her that I have something that she could place in the gift exchange. I rushed out to my vehicle and grabbed the gift that I had brought with me, and proceeded to return to the building. When I gave her the present for her to place in the gift exchange, she wept and thanked me. She moved quickly and placed the gift on the table and thus was able to take part in the activity.

As we enter this year’s Christmas season, let us commit to making positive, meaningful differences through various acts of kindness. Never forget that the birth of Jesus is the reason for the season, and that our presence matters more than the presents.

From the Paul Family, we would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

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Daniel J. Paul is a retired school administrator. His columns focus on education, old-fashioned family values, relationships and other topics. Contact him at meaningfuldifferences@gmail.com.