I believe any act of appreciation or kindness regardless of holiday or no holiday time of year can make a difference.

I'll tell two stories about this that you may have seen passed around the net, I don't know if these are true or just legend but that is not important, what is important is that these could have happened or could happen.

There was a boy walking home from school, he was carrying everything he owned it seemed. Some other kids tripped him and laughed at him as he tried picking up his books. I saw this and decided to help him up and helped him carry his books. I said to him, "those jerks, here I'll help you." He said, "thanks." I said, "you sure carry a lot of books." He said, "yeah." I said, "this is my house would you like to come in and play video games with me?" He looked at me and said, "really, yes i would like that!" We sat there hours playing games then I helped him go back home, we became best of friends. Many years past and we were graduating from college together, it was time to give speeches, he went before me and had this speech to say: "I have so many people to thank but I have one I owe everything to even my life and that is my best friend! You see many years ago when we met I was on my way home, I had taken everything out of my locker because I did not want things to be hard for my parents. I was walking home fully intending to kill myself when I got home, I was tripped on my way and made fun of, so much for making even more want to do myself in. But then along came my best friend, at that time I did not know him but he helped me up and helped carry my books with me, we even stopped at his house to play video games for hours before I went home. I now had a best friend and did not feel like killing myself, we have been best of friends for all these years and today we graduate together, if it wasn't for his kindness I would have been dead for many years now."

Here is another story similar.

There was a school project that kindness spreads and creates wonderful results, everyone made two blue ribbons, one to give and one to be given. These were to show appreciation and that this person deserves this love, respect and honor as a good person. One ribbon was given to me at my bank, my secretaries thought I would be bothered by this child with these ribbons but I was happy to have him pin it on me. He said, "mister here is a ribbon for you, for all the good you do, helping people with loans and their money you do a good job and deserve this." Then he said, "I give you this ribbon but this other ribbon you must pass on to someone you think deserves this." "These ribbons you must write of the result for our school project so please let me know tomorrow, your results." I took the ribbon and thought and thought on who I could give it too, then I knew exactly who! I took the ribbon and gave it to my son, I said, "listen I know your life can be hard at times I was a teen too you know, I also know I don't always express to you in an approving way about your choices, but that is only because I love you and want the best for you. I want you to know I think the world of you, you make me so proud to be your father, you really deserve this ribbon." Just then my son as if he were holding back a wall of emotion started bawling like a baby shaking, I asked, "what's the matter with you?" He said, "Dad I had wrote a suicide note to you and mom, it is up in my room. But now I will throw it away, I didn't realize how much I meant to you, I didn't think you liked me. Now I know you are and you do."

Two stories of gifts that have changed lives, these may have happened or not but they have a real validity to them that even if they were made up they can make a real difference.

I think the second story is called the Blue Ribbon, the first story I am not sure what it was called but if you are lucky enough you may one day find these in your mail still being passed around like I received many years ago myself.