Christmas brings out the best in many people.

Perhaps, it is the Christmas scripture of “peace on Earth, good will toward men” that brings out the charity and compassion of so many souls during this time of year.

From the Salvation Army’s collection kettles to Toys for Tots to programs to feed the needy and visit the elderly, Christmas brought out the best in Thomas and Grady counties and all of Southwest Georgia again this season.

Not to lessen the impact of such generosity, but perhaps we should strive to remember there are people and organizations in need of our contributions of time, talents and funds every season of the year and not only Christmas.

The hard truths are those folks hungry on Christmas Day are likely hungry every day.

Those lonely on Christmas Day are likely alone on other days of the year.

Families who receive help at Christmas could possibly use a helping hand at other times of the year.

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” accentuates the transformation of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge into the type of generous soul we identify with the holiday season.

Once transformed, however, Dickens wrote Scrooge practiced the Christmas spirit 365 days a year.

Throughout Thomas and Grady counties, there are organizations and agencies which deal in the Christmas spirit as much in July and every other time of the year as they do in December.

There are organizations committed to feeding the hungry, clothing the threadbare, visiting the lonely, helping the poor and being involved with the young throughout the year.

Showing the Christmas spirit year-round doesn’t mean putting up a tree earlier or keeping the holiday lights burning a little longer.

It means we should keep alive the tenets of Christmas — the best of Christmas, which is the best of us.

We should share and give of ourselves as the transformed Ebenezer Scrooge did.

Not just at Christmas but each day of the year.