Today I spent some time at my local food pantry. As I stood in line there was an older woman standing next to me that looked frail and hurting. She mentioned that standing bothered her and she wasn’t feeling well. Between myself and the woman in front of me we went into action to ensure she was comfortable as we stood in line. The older woman’s line was gracious enough to bring her to the front so she would be able to get home sooner than the end of her line would allow.

As I watched the people around me help this stranger I was moved knowing this is the spirit of Christmas. Or in Hawaii, the spirit of aloha. How blessed are we to be able to touch someone’s life, even with the simplest of tasks like getting her a chair, giving her a hug, or pushing her to the front of the line? Humanity and America may not be the same as it was, when people could keep their doors unlocked or when children were safe playing on the street, but the spirit of aloha, the spirit of the holidays, the spirit of Christmas is still very much real and alive.