She delivers joy

Because his health is so poor, the Coeur d'Alene man can't stand for more than a minute. He can't lie down in a bed, either. A recliner is the only way he can find his way to a little bit of sleep.

So when his aged recliner finally gave way recently, the man who lives alone in a tiny, subsidized apartment turned to the only place he knew for help.

Santa.

And of course, Santa responded.

In this case, Santa looked a lot like Pat Krug, who for 24 Christmases has helped people like the man we're telling you about today. Pat started all those years ago focusing on low-income senior citizens in a particular neighborhood, but when she saw the eager, then disappointed faces of others in the apartment complex, she decided that everyone there deserved to have a merry little Christmas.

Now, almost a quarter century later, Pat Krug has a machine-like system. She finds out what all the residents want - actually, need is much more like it - and using an associate's warehouse, stages all the food, presents, clothing, beds, dressers, microwaves and so on. At an appointed time and date, several dozen of Santa's elves gather at the warehouse, load all the goodies into trucks, and descend on the low-income apartment complex with armloads of happiness.

Pat, an agent with Windermere Coeur d'Alene Realty, doesn't stop there, either; nor does the fabulous Windermere Foundation. But today's tale by hearth is brought to you by the gentle-hearted man we described earlier.

When a slightly used recliner was delivered to his apartment last Sunday, the man - whose birthday happens to be Christmas Day - broke into tears. One elf reported that the tears flowed unabated down his cheeks as he thanked his benefactors over and over and over again.

Most of us take our good fortune for granted, living in relative peace with all the basics life demands.

Blessed are those like Pat Krug, who never take their good fortune for granted. Instead, they take it and share it with others.