Two days before Christmas there was a knock on my door. I had no idea who it could be. My children were at school so whoever it was could only be bringing bad news. I went to the door and peeped through the first-in-my-life peephole and saw a distorted figure of a man. With false bravado, I asked him who he was and what he wanted. He stepped back and looked straight into the hole and answered, "Star Box Ma'am."

"Who is Star Box" I inquired

"It's an organization that gives out Christmas presents to low income families, Ma'am. Your worker requested it for you. Almost everyone on this floor has received one today." I stood back from the door for a minute trying to recall any information about a "Star Box" in any recent conversation with my worker. As I reached for the doorknob I recalled that my worker had stated that I could use all the help I could get since I had just moved on our last home visit. The door opened slowly inch by inch and the person standing there was a visibly handicapped person holding onto what looked like two large person's shoe boxes tied up with string so that they stayed stacked, one on top of the other. He handed me the boxes and gave me a smile that warmed all of the deepest and darkest corners of my soul. I just stared at him dumbfounded until his cheery words, "Merry Christmas!", registered in my incompetent brain. He turned to leave and started to walk away pulling an unseen until now wagon loaded to avalanche level with adult sized shoe boxes all tied up with string.

I stared at this person's back while tears of bewilderment and gratitude slowly trickled down my cheeks. I started to say something but my throat was clogged with overwhelming emotions.