#CBCGreatestGift posting your heartwarming holiday stories

So you've made your list, checked it twice. And you've taken inventory of the bright-coloured packages tied up with string. Now, as the season of giving reaches a crescendo, we're asking you to think back: What's the greatest give you've ever given or received? 

Since Dec. 1, we've heard from dozens of people. What's striking about your stories is how often the best presents cost little to no money. 

Daniel Gee wrote about the first Christmas he worked on the front lines in Nova Scotia's health care system. He was new to the province, a little lonely, and homesick for Ontario. On Christmas Eve, a coworker summoned him to meet a gentleman who had arrived unannounced.

The man was a former patient, who he'd last seen months before in grave condition. Here he was, in great health.

Gee writes, "I could see a wave of emotion sweep over his face. He came up to me and gave me a great big hug. As he broke from the hug he shook my hand and said, 'I just wanted to find you and thank you for your incredible help and everything you do. Not just what you did for me, but for what you do day in and day out for everyone.'"

The letter continues, "Suddenly all those feelings of loneliness and isolation were gone. I am glad to say with the gentleman's encouragement, I stayed in Nova Scotia, overcame my homesickness and now am happier than ever."

'Life does go on'

Alanna Erdie wrote about a teddy bear, a gift she received when she was six years old.

"I am 28 now and that bear has lived on my bed every day for the past 22 years. He's dried my tears and cuddled with me through many dark nights. He is the best gift I've ever received."

Charlotte Flewelling's #CBCGreatestGift Moment came this year. She completed her first 10k this year in the Bluenose Marathon, raising money for Ronald McDonald House in the process. Congratulations!

Trevor Umlah, tweeting as @lifepassiton, wrote about his double-lung transplant in 2007, the #GiftofLife. And he sent a photo of himself after competing in the Canadian Transplant Games last summer.

From Lori Errington, an anecdote that began with the sadness of Christmas Dinner 2001: She'd lost her father and grandmother that October, just a day apart. 

"Christmas dinner looked like it would be lonely and bleak, to say the least," she writes. 

But then something happened. The family invited a friend from church who was going to be alone for the holidays. Then a coworker, a cousin and a handyman were on the list. They all came for dinner — a house and a table full of joy and shared friendship. Full bellies and full hearts.  

"So my greatest Christmas gift is not something you can hold in your hands," Lori writes. "It is the gift of knowing that life does go on, strangers can quickly become friends around a good meal, and while I cherish the Christmases of the past, I will always look forward to the holidays."
 
Please keep the stories coming.

You can email [email protected], or tweet us using #CBCGreatestGift. We'll keep putting them together to share with everyone else.

And remember to tune in to CBC TV for The Greatest Gift, a special program we're preparing for the holidays. It will run at 11 p.m. Dec. 24 and again at 6 p.m. Dec. 26.