Every year I send Christmas cards. A little bell goes off in my head reminding me to write greetings to friends, family and colleagues, wishing them well for the holidays and the new year. But I always spend a little more time when writing the card to my older brother. The other, which includes a cashier’s check, goes to a lockbox in a different state for his commissary. It never gets any easier to write to my brother at this time of year, or to fully take in how such a small act of kindness can mean so much to someone who feels so forgotten and alone.

Source: New York Times December 15, 2018 12:00 UTC