Small gestures make big differences for others

As we move into the holiday season, my attention is often drawn to the wonderful stories of goodwill extended to those in need.

There is something about this time of year that seems to inspire people to reach out to others a little more in bringing hope to those who are desperate or feeling disconnected and lonely.

Indeed, there seems to be something magical that motivates us to turn our focus from our own needs to that of others.

One of my favorite stories of extending good will to others is not necessarily related to the holidays, but it has helped me to see just how significant small acts of kindness can be for those who are struggling.

This story is of Air Force 1st Lt. Gail Halvorsen, who was a C-54 Skymaster pilot during the Berlin Airlift.

During one of hundreds of sorties that were flown each day in delivering critical supplies to the two million people caught behind the Russian blockages of Berlin following World War II, Halvorsen noticed a group of children at the end of the flight line that would gather to watch the planes land and take off again.

After one flight, he walked over to these children huddled at the fence line and, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two sticks of chewing gum.

He divided it up the best he could and, sadly realizing that the majority of the children would not have any, he handed the small pieces through the fence.

As the kids scrambled to be one of the recipients of this small gesture, he noticed those who were lucky enough to get a piece of the gum handed the small pieces of wrapper to the others who weren’t so lucky - so they could at least smell the precious contents.

Seeing how thrilled the children were as a result of this small act, he promised he would bring them more gum and candy next time, but would drop it from his plane as he flew overhead.

So they would know which of the hundreds of planes was his, he told them he would waggle his wings. And so he did.

Having constructed small parachutes of handkerchiefs, he tied them to candy donated by his comrades from their rations. On his next flight, he gently wiggled the wings of his aircraft as he approached the runway and dropped the small gifts to the eager children below.

Word soon arrived through his chain of command of the unauthorized drop.

Although not initially well-received, as it became more publicized, his leadership recognized the symbolic value to the larger populace who were so desperate for hope of a brighter tomorrow.

And so, one such airdrop of candy led to another, which led to another and eventually “Operation Little Vittles” was born, with additional aircrews joining in the effort.

As news reporters both local and abroad picked up on the story, it was not long before Halvorsen, who had become known as “Uncle Wiggly Wings,” was recognized as an iconic ambassador of goodwill to the people of West Germany.

As the story spread, children from all over began sending gum and candy to be a part of this wonderful outreach.

Eventually, large candy companies began sending crates of chocolate to sustain the endeavor.

Over the course of the 14 months of Operation Little Vittles, 23 tons of chocolate were dropped to hundreds of children.

As the moral of this story suggests, we never know the impact that one small act of kindness might have on an unsuspecting recipient.

My challenge for each of us during this season is to find someone who needs our help and do something for them that will reaffirm in their minds that someone cares, someone believes in them, and that hope is not lost. Be the catalyst of good will.

Be the kind of kind person that each one of us is capable of being in extending acts of kindness to those in need.

In so doing, we will discover an irreplaceable sweetness to life.