ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS...

On the fifth day of Christmas... our little family gave back.

They were there to give back. That's what I guessed when I saw my co-worker and her young son standing in the lobby of our office. They stood in front of our program director's door, presents in hand, waiting to pass them off to the office "elf" who was in charge of sorting and corralling all of the donations.

"Another kiddo will have a merrier Christmas," I thought as I walked back to my desk. "Make that TWO families," I corrected myself. From the look on his face, my co-worker's son was glad to be there and not just to see where his mom worked. He felt good about what they were doing. She looked quite proud too.

Like many offices, businesses, schools, churches and non-profit organizations, the human services agency that I work for tries to give back each Christmas by creating an "angel tree" of wishes from some of the most impoverished children we work with. From a distance, it is a paper tree tacked to a table-top bulletin board. Paper ornament balls cover most of the green tree surface. Each ornament is numbered and contains the age of a child and a short list of things that they need or would like for Christmas.

What sets us apart from many places of business that have trees is that we know the children the gifts will go to. We know how much they need that pair of pajamas or new shoes they asked for or that someone requested on their behalf. We know that the puzzle "Santa" gave them is their only one and that any book is as valuable as gold.

This holiday season, our family will do the same as many people and give in some way to others who have less and need much more. Most people do this with the blind faith that they are making a difference somehow. My co-worker's son was filled with that feeling. I hope that someday a few years from now I can stand in her shoes with the Little One at my side with a present he is ready to give.

It is the best gift I could ever give him.