"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself" --Ralph Waldo Emerson

The dawn of December 25, 2004, brought amongst many things the promise of another beautiful day with clear blue skies in Southern California. It felt as though nature was reminiscing with fondness the advent of God which occurred almost two thousand years ago. The entire atmosphere was charged with divine vibrations.

The local Sai center organized a special Christmas day celebration with two seva projects. In the morning, we assembled at a devotees' home to prepare gift bags, artistically decorated and included chips, candies, peanuts and fruits. It took less than two hours to assemble about one hundred such bags for the inmates of the local juvenile correction center. All the while the devotees were singing carols and bhajans, enjoying the true spirit of the season.

In the afternoon, we headed to the convalescent home in Studio City, Los Angeles, to visit the elderly and sing carols for them. All the residents of this home were beaming with joy on having visitors on this special day, greeting us with hugs and kisses. Their enthusiasm and participation in carol singing took us by surprise. The mutual exchange of love and affection was not only inspiring but tremendously energizing.

Feeling rejuvenated, we then proceeded to the juvenile corrections center in Malibu which houses more than a hundered boys from the age group of fourteen to eighteen. It was around dinner time when we reached the center. All the devotees lined up on either side of the dining hall and handed out the gift bags to each boy as they walked in, wishing them a merry Christmas. They seemed to be puzzled and slightly amused at the sight of us, complete strangers, standing in very cold weather on Christmas Day, wishing them a happy holiday. We later learnt that these boys were extremely thankful that some one would take the time and effort to be with them and, for them on this special day. What was even more gratifying was the sight of happy grins on the faces of these young boys when they opened the gift bags. Their Christmas dinner would have otherwise been only a sandwich and a carton of milk.

In true modern Christmas tradition, we all received and gave away gifts that day. It was no ordinary gift which could be purchased with money or by any other means, nor could it be returned unused. And, the happiness of possessing this gift did not last only for that day, it would last forever. It was a gift from Bhagawan. It was the gift of Love.