The Christmas season can stir up a cacophony of emotions and responses, depending on personal experiences. I know I, for one, have always anxiously waited for Christmas, sure that it would be a happy time.

This year, the holiday season came in the midst of hardship for my family. Because of a sick relative, much of my Christmas was spent in a hospital room.

It would have been easy to succumb to the inherent sadness of the day, yet my family still found joy in being together.

We were fortunate because we brought my relative home from the hospital Saturday evening with renewed spirit and improved.

Yet, we left behind a hospital filled with nurses and doctors, as well as patients who were not lucky enough to spend Christmas at home.

Not once did I hear a hospital employee complain about missing Christmas or having to help us. Instead, they were jolly and kind, giving us the compassion we needed to overlook the unfortunate Christmas Eve setting.

An experience that could have been traumatic was filled with laughter and smiles.

This Christmas, I learned there is always something to be grateful for and even those with no means to purchase gifts can still give the gift of compassion.

Regardless, it’s not too late to express gratitude for what we do have. Take this last week of 2016 to remind those around you that the greatest gifts cannot be bought.

Carson Reeher is a staff writer for The Kenbridge-Victoria Dispatch. Her email address is carson.reeher@kenbridgevictoriadispatch.com.