Christmas. Ah, the time to be generous.

People buy expensive gifts for their family.

But some people do a lot more than that. It's the time when people adopt a kind soul for a day, and visit the sick in the hospital and take medicine, visit orphaned children, things like that.

They go to the section where people have cancer, and take aspirin and antibiotics. Not doctors and funds for cancer research, or even morphine, or an open discussion of the future of their family, and teachings on the meaning of death. Aspirin. It's what they got donated.

Then they go to the section where people have heart problems, and bring aspirin and antibiotics. Also no doctors, no hearts, no operations.

They visit the children who have no parents. They bring toys. Not parents, real or adopted. No campaigning for better schools, food, or treatment of children all year round. Teddy bears.

It's better than nothing, they say. Yes - it's more than nothing. Barely.

Then, the next day, they go back to work, not caring anymore, valuing money above all things, and not worrying about whether their companies create more suffering in the world or do anything useful for humanity. Just how much they make. They work for the oil industry, the weapons industry, automobiles, banking, any corporation - as long as they get money.

Christmas is over, after all.