Holiday Spirit

I pose this question to the tree of you, my avid readers: How does one find holiday spirit when it does not readily arrive with the decorations? I know a few folks that are having a tough time this year getting into the whole holly-jolly and I totally get it. At the same time, for most of my adult life I have faced the economic fears that many are suffering through now. One year, my big gift was boughs of reeds wrapped and offered for luck. Talk about strapped. Hell, I thought that might not even happen as the police were explaining to me the finer points about laws preventing people from removing things like reeds from National Parks. He actually had to think about it when I offered to take them back. .
I don't know how to impart that the holiday spirit need not come in a present or a fortune under the tree. It just has to do with finding some extra love and good will. At least that's what it seems like to me. What I have enjoyed most this year is watching how some have started being just a little nicer out there. That warms me up some. Christmas is about that to me. After this, we just get snow and fierce weather without twinkly lights.