I switched off the morning news today while I sipped my morning coffee. The constant chatter about sports stars, celebrities, billionaires, and politicians had numbed my ears and left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't really care to hear anymore about what this world considers winners. Instead, I gazed out my kitchen window and thought about the true winners in this life. I was sure too that Heaven was smiling down on them all whether they realized it or not.

Who are these real winners? They are all around us but we so often fail to see them. The single Mom who works all day to support her child is a winner. The person who gives up their one day off from work to volunteer at a food pantry or homeless shelter is a winner. The grandma who both bakes cookies and relearns algebra to help her grandson with his homework is a winner. The hospice aide who holds the hand of a dying person in their last hours here is a winner. The volunteer firefighters who risk their lives for no pay are all winners. The health care aide who dedicates her life to help the elderly and disabled is a winner. The adoptive parents who give a forever home to orphaned children are winners. The person who gives a Christmas present to a poor child he will never meet is a winner. The family who lovingly open their hearts and homes to furry, four-legged friends are winners. The young men and women who spend their Spring and Summer vacations repairing the homes of the poor are winners. The person who puts love ahead of money, kindness ahead of fame, and people ahead of power is the real winner in this life and in the next.

Everyone who loves others completely and unconditionally is a winner in the eyes of Heaven. Every person who spends their lives helping others is a winner in the eyes of God. May you be a true winner then, today, tomorrow, and always.