Of Tree Boughs, Snow, and Footprints

How I Found My Christmas Spirit This Year was published by a Fox News writer on Christmas Eve. He describes his 2011 as being a disaster in many ways and being unable to feel the Christmas Spirit. That was until he received a card from his friend with late stage colon cancer. I've added the important part below.

A tree stands on a hill. The winter comes and a heavy snow falls weighing down its branches and the tree sometimes struggles to stand. Its boughs bend downward and are near breaking. People see this and climb the hill to help out. They have busy lives but they go out of their way to offer help. They shake the snow from the branches to ease the weight and provide some relief. But it snows again and... again and the burden is there every day. The tree is constantly under strain but people continue to come and help out. The tree realizes something. The snow which is a burden to the tree also shows all the footprints of the people who come to help. Every day, the tree sees the footprints, big and small, of those who come to offer relief. The tree still has a burden but it chooses to focus on the footprints because they are what truly matter. I just wanted to say thank you to all the footprints I am blessed to see every day; you warm my heart with your generosity and fill my soul with hope and joy. Big and small, I see nothing but footprints everywhere I look and I am very thankful. Have a safe and very Merry Christmas everyone!

May we all be the footprints showing our help for others and offering relief, but the tree also. Stong and tall, but able to handle our burdens and accept the help of those around us.