Christmas time brings out the best in humanity as everyone seems a little more concerned about taking care of their fellow man. Some folks give with big showy displays, but the best and most meaningful gifts are those given anonymously and symbolically to help those less fortunate. A quick spin around the web this week, revealed anonymous givers whose gifts have inspired others to give to those less fortunate.
Mysterious Pete has become a legend to the staff at the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center in Evansville, IN. Every year around Christmas he hides a donation somewhere on the property and then phones the staff with a hint as to where to find his gift. This year’s gift was a miniature Christmas tree with 30 $100 bills attached. Over the years Pete’s given over $65,000 to the center and although the staff has garnered a few clues about who he might be, they prefer to let his identity remain a mystery so as not the thrill he gets out of giving anonymously.
The tradition of gold coins being dropped anonymously in Chicago Salvation Army buckets continued this year when holiday workers found gold coins worth $1,200 wrapped inside bills and dropped inside the red buckets. The tradition of someone dropping gold coins into Salvation Army buckets in the Chicago area dates back to 1982 and the coins have included Kugerrands and other golden coins. The tradition has spread to other areas and this year gold coins have been dropped in buckets in Philadelphia, Indiana, and Florida.
In another story, an anonymous woman showed up at a Salvation Army and started handing out $20 bills to people who were waiting in line for food vouchers. When she ran out of cash, she went to the ATM to get more money to hand out. Although this lady gave in person and ran the risk of not being so anonymous, she meets the criteria because she was giving from the heart and refused to tell anyone who she was.
Interestingly enough, there was an excellent article at the TriValley Dispatch about Secret Santas and how their anonyomous gifts add to the mystery of the season. Giving should be about the joy of seeing someone’s face light up and not about the glory that comes with giving big gifts. Take some time this year and see if you can’t make someone’s burden a little bit lighter by being their Secret Santa. I promise that if you do, you’ll experience amazing bliss.
Cairn by Cairn 