If you still have Christmas shopping left to do, you’re running out of time.

Of course, you may be one of those well-organized, plan-ahead types who loves to remind the rest of us that you purchased all of your gifts “ages ago.”

This message is for both those still shopping and those already finished.

We get so caught up in choosing just the right gift for those special people on our Christmas list and making all of our holiday plans that we sometimes forget that there are scores of others right here in our own community and elsewhere whom we should also remember this holiday season.

If we read a newspaper, listen to radio or television, go online or belong to any group or organization, we know there are multiple appeals of all sorts, from requests for donations of toys, warm clothes or food, to pleas for just plain old cash to help make the holiday brighter for some family in need.

We often forget that it is the season of sharing, as we selfishly go about our own hectic preparations without taking a moment to lend a helping hand to someone else.

You don’t have to be wealthy to afford to make a difference. In fact, we can truthfully say that over the years, it seems to be those with the least who are the most generous and compassionate. They’re the first to visit shut-ins, knit a pair of warm mittens for a youngster or bake a pie for a neighbor.

It may be because they remember how a simple gesture of kindness made a difference in their own lives at some point in time.

Everywhere you look, there are requests encouraging us to reach out and help someone this Christmas season. You still have time to find a place where you can make a difference this year. Your options are endless.

If you’re unsure where your help would be appreciated the most, ask the churches, the schools, Boothbay Region Community Resources or inquire at your town office.

Sharing with others, both those you may know and folks you will never meet, will give Christmas a whole new meaning — not only to those on the receiving end, but to you, too.