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Renewing
the Christmas Spirit
A small
token for a sick friend snowballs into a life-changing gift
By Ryan
Patrick
 For
kids, getting into the Christmas spirit is easy. After all, the
notion of a red-nosed fat man squirming down the chimney and
piling every toy on your list around the tree is pretty
spectacular.
But for adults, truly
enjoying the season isn’t always so easy. As we battle traffic,
long lines, and limited finances, that old holiday magic is
sometimes missing. But just when the true meaning of Christmas
gets lost in a blizzard of commercialism, every once in a while
something happens to put everything into perspective.
A few years ago, a
good friend of the family, a person who is always selfless and the
first to help out when you need a hand, got into some financial
trouble due to an illness in the family. It quickly drained his
resources, and with a wife, a couple of kids, two jobs and
ever-mounting bills, they were in dire straits.
A group of us friends
decided to raise a few dollars to give to the family to pay for
presents and other Christmas expenses. It started as a modest
gesture on the part of a few people, but word-of-mouth quickly
spread, and the outpouring of generosity, in some cases from
people who didn’t even know the family, was nothing short of
incredible. The original goal of $1,000 was exceeded many, many
times over. Like a scene from a holiday movie, the money was
compiled into a cashier’s check and delivered anonymously to the
family.
Not only did they
have a wonderful Christmas, but this gift allowed them to dig out
of financial turmoil and get back on their feet. There were no
grand thank yous, no bows to be taken, no pats on the back, as
this outpouring of love for a struggling family was done quietly,
and to this day, the beneficiaries, while openly thankful to
anybody who will listen, do not know where the money came from.
That was the first
time in my adult life that the excited butterflies and that
magical feeling of the season returned. As my wife and I lay in
bed on Christmas Eve, we actually believed in Santa Claus again
for the first time in decades. As we listened to the whistling
wind, the warm house basking in the soft glow of festive lights,
it truly felt like Christmas. Then – no lie – we actually
heard a thump on the roof. We just about jumped out of our skin.
The next day I found
a branch laying across the roof from an old maple tree in my yard.
I hid it from my wife. After all, we all need to believe in a
little magic now and then.
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Cover
Focus
Celebrating the season. Toni Holiday and her husband Joe have
decorated their front door with the warmth of a classic wreath.
Designed by Cynthia Cobb of the Cobb Collection of Peters
Township
| SPECIAL
FOCUS: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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 Better
to Receive...
Last
minute gift ideas, fantasy presents, kitchen gadgets,
great toy ideas and many more suggestions to stimulate
your gift-giving imagination
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 School
Lunch, Revisited
The
cafeteria represents a different culinary experience for today's
hungry kids
How
Shop 'n Save Makes a Difference
It's
pre-made sandwich program earns the store a community thanks
every Friday
Sports
Champions
The
Artist's Sole
Turning
inspiration into flashy footwear is paying off for one local
artist
Lady
of the Lanes
SF senior
Tammy Veneski finds that bowling success comes naturally
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School
Fitness Center Open to Public New School Board as of 12/3/2007
 School
Calendar
Little Lions' Preschool
Registration
South Fayette Presents Proposed
Preliminary Budget
Paying it Forward
Lights, Camera, Good Nutrition!
Campus Notes
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