Back in the day before the smart phone when we used to read print newspapers, Clement Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was featured on the editorial page every Christmas Eve. Several years ago, when I was working in Annapolis, MD, I came across a deeply moving Christmas Eve editorial that shed light on the real significance of Christmas. This piece was published in the Capital Gazette, and its inspiration stemmed from the tragic and senseless murder of five reporters by a deranged gunman.

The editorial is based about the simple gift of cookies shared by one of the reporters, Wendi Winters. I actually got know Wendi, she was one of those special people you never forget. So, take a moment to read the editorial and enjoy one of Wendi’s cookies.

“Every year, Wendi Winters (a reporter at the Capital Gazette) would buy 400 Oreos, dip them in chocolate, drizzle them with white chocolate and sprinkle them with crushed candy canes. She’d hand them out at the office, to a bunch of journalists old and young who thought they were far too cynical to appreciate a simple human gesture.

 As often happens in life, lessons usually are appreciated too late to thank the person who’s given you a particular morsel of wisdom. Because what Wendi was doing was far more than making tooth-achingly sweet cookies.

 What she gave each of us was the generosity of her spirit and an opportunity for starting anew. If only we’d been smart enough to grasp it.

 That’s the idea of Christmas. The holiday represents the birth of a man who offers the gift of another chance in exchange for faith — or, if you prefer, the promise of new life as the days begin to slowly, gradually lengthen again.

 By making these cookies, Wendi told us that no matter how flawed we are, she treasured our friendship. She enjoyed our companionship and our shared work: seeking truth and justice.

 So on Christmas Day, as you celebrate with your families or just go about your business because it’s just Saturday to you, we ask you to consider the lesson of Wendi’s cookies.

 It’s never too late to appreciate the gifts a friend gives you, even if they can’t hear your heartfelt thanks. It’s never too late to look for new beginnings.”

Find time this Christmas to really enjoy the meaning of a special cookie made a friend or family member and experience the real meaning of Christmas.