Secret Santa reveals his identity

By MARIA SUDEKUM FISHER, Associated Press Writer

She writes:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For 26 years, a man known only as Secret Santa has roamed the streets every December quietly giving people money. He started with $5 and $10 bills. As his fortune grew, so did the gifts. In recent years, Secret Santa has been handing out $100 bills, sometimes two or three at a time, to people in thrift stores, diners and parking lots. So far, he's anonymously given out about $1.3 million. It's been a long-held holiday mystery: Who is Secret Santa?

Who indeed? The man pictured above is none other than Larry Stewart, a 58-year-old businessman from the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit, Mo., who made his millions in cable television and long-distance telephone service.

The rest of the article details a wonderful story of a young man who was saddened by the loss of his job. He was sulking when he discovered another even less fortunate person. After helping them out, he set out to give himself a new kind of Christmas present. He would hand out cash to strangers in need all over. He had his own run ins with begging for help and decided not to foist that on anyone. Why not give them something they don't have to ask for, beg for, or fill out an application for?

This man is an excellent and timely example to us all. We are all better off than we give ourselves credit for. We should be extremely thankful for this and use our good fortune and blessings for the benefit of others. This will bless us even more than we could know.