•January 1, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

In this season of joy, I am reminded, as we all are, fleetingly, that not all share our joy.
Several years ago, for example, the circus came to my rural town. A friend and I decided to ensure that all kids could have the very few bucks needed for tickets and some cotton candy. Fifteen single-parent families were quickly identified by a local church group as needing such help.
My first delivery was to a run-down small frame home. The young mother came to the screen door. The living room behind her was a mess; a stereotypical, louche boyfriend (I assume) was lounging on the sofa, watching TV; two kids were fussing in the background. What struck me was how grateful the mother, a bit disheveled, was for the tickets (at $6 each) and the 10 bucks for treats. What a miserable life, I thought.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.