10 standout Christmas Jar miracles from 2011

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! True Christmas Jar miracles are pouring into my inbox nearly every time I download new email. They come from both jar givers and receivers and span religion, race and region.

For the uninitiated, a Christmas Jar is a jar of spare change collected all year long and given, usually anonymously, to someone in need during the holidays. Sometimes the need is financial; sometimes it’s emotional. Because in our darkest hours, often what we need most is the simple message that someone is aware of us.

Picking just 10 real-life accounts to feature from 2011 was a tough task. Each story I receive is special, whether it comes in during the heat of July, the crisp October air or the cold of Christmas Eve. If I’ve learned anything since the tradition began in 2005, it’s that the stories are as different as the jars themselves.

Here are just 10 of the stories from this year (along with 10 photos of additional jars) that will stay with me long after the holidays fade. I hope a few stand out for you, too.

(Read more Christmas Jar miracles or share your own at www.christmasjars.com.)

Jason F. Wright is a New York Times best-selling author of eight books, including "Christmas Jars," "The Wednesday Letters" and "The Wedding Letters." He can be reached at feedback@jasonfwright.com or www.jasonfwright.com.