CHRISTMAS SPIRIT LIVES IN COMMUNITY GIVING

Christmas offers a time for rejoicing, reflecting and spending time with family and friends. We have much to celebrate this holiday season.

We are a nation at peace, marveling at a changing world.

Looking back, 1991 was a truly amazing year. Reversals of fortunes swept through the Soviet Union. America and its allies battled an aggressive dictator in the Persian Gulf. After years in captivity, American hostages in Lebanon were finally freed. Bitter Middle East enemies at least faced each other across a table for historic peace talks.

Sadly, not every nation enjoys peace on earth this Christmas season. But America has done a good job in spreading good will to men and women across the globe. While struggling with hard financial times at home, Americans always seem willing to give a hand to those in greater need. American medical and relief supplies are already pouring into the Soviet Union in anticipation of a long, cold winter.

That benevolence can be easily found on the home front as well. In Cape Girardeau, community giving answered the Christmas dreams of 1,500 boys and girls through Toybox. Without your generosity, many of these children would not have had a Christmas gift under the tree.

After a slow start, businesses, civic groups and individuals donated about $17,000 in cash and more than 7,000 toys. We only wish you could have seen the faces of these children the exclamations of joy and even tears when Santa delivered his goodies.

The same holds true for our Christmas for the Elderly program. The meager Christmas lists of a dozen elderly families were met, and cash donations of more than $8,000 will assist other elderly persons in need throughout the year.

In the hustle and bustle and commercialism of the holiday season, we may overlook the real charity at work in our community. Gift baskets of food and toys have been distributed by various civic groups and organizations. The Salvation Army and Area Wide United Way hope to wrap up successful campaigns in the coming days.

Caring for our fellow man is but one lesson we learned from the son of God, born nearly 2,000 years ago. His words of forgiveness and love remain with us. The Christmas spirit truly flourishes in this outpouring of community giving.