Kicker: Blessed to give and receive

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Small acts of kindness can go a long way— and sometimes, they lead to a mystery.

Every Christmas in Springfield, Missouri, (my town!) restaurant owner Mike Jalili serves free meals to the needy. This year, he got a letter from an elderly woman who said she was down to her last dollar and so grateful for the food and kindness.

But the letter came with no name or return address.

Jalili was determined to meet this mystery guest, so he turned to social media. I called him yesterday:

JALILI: And we've been working hard to try to find this lady. And then somehow this, this mysterious angel I call her, has touched so many people's hearts.

He found her. Turns out she’d been a giver, too—helping veterans and animals for years.

Jalili believes that’s just how it works:

JALILI: You don’t do it to receive. You always give from your heart to give, not expecting anything back.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Jesus said it best: It’s more blessed to give than to receive.

REICHARD: It’s The World and Everything in It.

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