A big 'thank you' to the everyday 'angels' among us

"Thank you!" hollered Izzy, my vivacious 8-year-old neighbor, as she finished shoveling the snow off the front sidewalk, because she "just wanted to help." Yes, she was thanking me for helping me.

At this time of the year, I see people like Izzy, and her brother and sister, Kane and Gabby, relishing in the joy of giving and sharing, and I'm thinking, "Don't you wish you could bottle it and feel it every day?" I observe that they don't have to bottle it; they just let it flow every day, offering to help, without fanfare or talking about it. It's simply their nature.

You don't have to wonder if she'll be doing the same when she's 80 years old, because, I see my lifelong friend and hero, Willie, doing the same. No matter how early or late I call Willie at his home, his wife tells me he's at church repairing the pipes, or helping someone move because they can't afford their rent, or finding furniture for a family, or doing some other kind deed in the community. His life has been dedicated to helping others, especially youths in need, such as with scouts, baseball and basketball for boys and girls, neighborhood cleanups, and local and national Golden Gloves boxing programs for youths. His latest passion is track and field events to raise money for shoes for poor kids. He grew up on the west side of Salt Lake where he is known as, "Mr. Westside." It's not uncommon to find him climbing a ladder at the Guadalupe church to patch the roof or fixing things with a bunch of little kids following him around as though he was the original Pied Piper. Willie is constantly working to build character among youths in need.

Then there's my friend, Kathy, involved at the grass roots of civic-minded causes including politics, church fundraisers for service projects, clothing and food pantry collection, League of Women Voters, educational fundraisers to support community projects for local youths to help in Mexico, Central and South America, and a prolific writer of all of the above. She's a driving force in strengthening education, supporting school board candidates, reporting on local school board meetings and started a charter school.

If we take notice, we find lots of people going about their daily lives continually doing acts of kindness. They don't need to bottle it because there is no end to what is in their hearts. It is a part of their being. What is common to all of these "angels" is their commitment to helping others and their community. They do it quietly, without fanfare, and intuitively. They seek to elevate the lives of others while shying away from the limelight or getting recognition.