Celebrating the Spirit of Giving with Compassion and Love

 December 21, 2012 

This Hanukah and Christmas season is a time to celebrate the glory of life, the joy of love, and the spirit of giving. Today, I'd like to share with you a story I've been telling for years which I think illustrates the essence of the season.

An American journalist covering the savage fighting during one battle of the Korean War came upon an advanced medical outpost. Inside, he watched as a nurse prepared a wounded soldier for surgery. The man was bloody and filthy, but the nurse went about her work without hesitation. Fascinated by the bold juxtaposition of the gruesome evidence of man's inhumanity to man and the wonderful proof of human tenderness and compassion, the hard-boiled reporter said softly to the nurse, "I wouldn't do what you're doing for a million dollars." The nurse, without stopping her work, replied even softer, "Neither would I." Her point was simple: You can't put a price on compassion.

In my opinion, the spirit of giving is at its highest when it embraces empathy and love. In this holiday season in particular we've heard stories of compassion and devotion that stretch far beyond what we would think even the best of us are capable. It is those experiences that show us the wonder and unbelievable resiliency of the human spirit, in both good times and bad.

This holiday season, we wish everyone in the IGA Family a joyous holiday, and we also send special thanks out to our IGA retailers around the world. Your compassion for and dedication to the communities you serve so well is an inspiration to us all, each and every day.

Yours Devotedly,

Tom Haggai