The Christmas spirit is alive and well

[Osc]

Two examples of the best Christmas spirit today. First, I was in the car and listening to the most popular phone in show in Ireland, and a woman was telling Joe the presenter about her son. He is 35 and has Down Syndrome, he loves his music but will only listen to music on cassettes and has resisted all efforts to change to cds or an ipod, she was telling how she was trying to find cassettes of the albums of two very popular Irish singers called Frances Black and Mary Black (yes, they are sisters but have separate careers). She said she used to be able to buy cassettes in charity shops but they are available less and less. About 10 minutes later, Frances Black rang into the show, in her car on the way to a gig. She had been on to a recording engineer friend who is going to put all her albums and those of her sister onto cassette for the young man, and also inviting him and his mother to her next Dublin gig in the New Year. How wonderful was that - she took the trouble to get in touch with her friend and make the arrangement, then phone into the programme, I thought it was lovely.

Then, on a much more personal note, I went to the local post office to get some stamps, and the young woman running it came out from behind the counter with a big box of chocs nicely wrapped and a card, thanking us for our help and support since they took over the post office - how sweet is that, we haven't done anything at all except just chat generally and we did give them our note counting machine, but otherwise, we've just been customers like anyone else. It's been a dreary wet day but I came home smiling and thinking that the world is not all bad despite the constantly depressing headlines in the newspapers.

[Kaz]

Those are both lovely examples of kindness and goodwill I do think there is still a lot of good in the world - it's just that it doesn't make headlines like the bad stuff does

xxxxxx

[Diflower]

Lovely Osc and thank you for telling us
Most people are nice, and good - but they don't make the news do they

[Fugitive]

For the first time in years Osc you've both got the time to be part of Christmas from the other side of the counter. Well deserved and I can tell you will savour every moment

[JoM]

Both stories are so lovely Osc, like Di says we rarely hear about good people

[saundra]

so pleased nice things are happening for you osc
from your post office
and for the cassettes
happy xmas

[meriad]

The story of the sisters putting their music onto tape for this guy put a huge smile on my face - what a wonderful thing for them to be doing

And how lovely of the post office people; I totally understand why you came home feeling the way you did

[miasmum]

What a lovely thing for that artist to do, really makes you feel human compassion is alive and well.

Lovely to the post office to buy you a gift too, nice to be appreciated, especially for what you consider not much

[Ally]

Just catching up with this Osc..lovely, lovely lovely.

[Lozzles]

What wonderful stories. They really warm the heart. I do think there are so many lovely things like this happening, so it is nice to hear about them