Happy Holidays... and Thanks for Your Many Gifts All Year

At this time of the year we are bombarded by messages and news coverage supposedly related to the joyous religious events of Christ's birth. Unfortunately, for many people this Merry Christmas-ing often seems hollow, as we are swamped by crass commercialism and phony sentiment.

For those of us working in AIDS services, however, the season offers an opportunity to see wonderful acts of generosity and genuine caring -- acts which actually go on all year long, even if they are more obvious during the holidays. The kind holiday gifts to clients of poinsettias, festive food baskets, and homemade cookies literally by the thousands. The grade school birthday girl who insisted that all her friends bring food for ASA's Food Pantry to her party, instead of gifts for her. The selfless volunteers who daily provide the sick with house cleaning, transportation, and warm friendship. The volunteer educator who insisted on keeping her speaker's commitments not three weeks after her own heart transplant. And our own dedicated colleagues' tireless efforts to ease the suffering of the HIV-stricken and their loved ones. These are the gifts that keep on giving all year long. Thanks... and Happy Holidays!

-- John Sandy Bartlett, Information/Education Coordinator, ASA

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ASA Info Line: 458-AIDS