By Karen South Jones

Special to the Post

Does anybody doubt that we’re living in crazy times? It seems you can’t open a newspaper, turn on the television or even read your Facebook feed without being overwhelmed by stories of hate, fear, evil and despair. If you’re like me, the bad news doesn’t stop there. Family members and friends are struggling with various and sundry health issues. Others are dreading the holidays because of the immense grief they carry over the loss of people they love. Seriously? There have been days lately when I didn’t even want to get out of bed!

That’s why I have to share this most unexpected story of grace, love and hope. I got a call from a friend of mine. We haven’t known each other that long, but we have so much in common that it feels like we’ve known each other forever. She’s a smart, funny, well-educated woman who is raising her adolescent son alone. Like me, that’s not a role she anticipated or wanted. But, when you’re there, you make lemonade out of lemons.

My friend has a decent job, but the salary is just (barely) enough to pay the bills. If you throw in a couple of unanticipated occurrences (the TV dies, the X-BOX breaks) plus the death of your father, well, life looks pretty dismal. So when she called, my friend was hoping I could direct her to some resources to help her give her son a Merry Christmas.

Since she makes too much to qualify for the Christmas Bureau and receives no public assistance, I didn’t really know what to tell her. Let me think about it, I said. Maybe I can come up with something. I guess it’s a reflection of the times in which we live, but my first thought was to solicit my Facebook friends. Surely one of them would have a gently used flat screen TV with which they wouldn’t mind parting. So, I threw the idea out. This is where the story gets good.

Less than four hours after I made my appeal, I received a text message from a very dear friend. She informed me that a brand new, 32-inch, flat-screen TV would be ready for pick up at Wal-Mart in about a week. What?

She wrote, “It just hit me when I saw your post. I thought, I can do that. Glad I can help. Just tell her it’s from Santa!”

I was completely overwhelmed by this act of kindness and generosity. I called my friend today and told her about this amazing gift from Santa. I’m sure you won’t be surprised that both of us cried. “No one has ever done anything this nice for me,” she shared. In the next breath she asked, “What can I do to thank Santa?” Pay it forward, I replied. Pay it forward.

Not all of us can buy flat screen TVs. But each of us has the ability to give all that we can, whenever we can. The giver in this story didn’t ask a single question about the recipient of her gift. She was simply moved to do something for another human being. So, when we begin to lose our faith in humanity, remember this amazing, wonderful, extraordinary woman who said, simply, “I can do that.” Doesn’t it just beg the question, “What can I do?”

Karen South Jones lives in Rowan County.