The woman at the dry cleaners where I’ve been going for years asked if she could share something with me the other day. We’ve chitchatted a lot over the years, especially after I went to work for a church. We talk about faith, worship and how her church gets out later than ours on Sunday mornings (or afternoons in her case). I’ve even brought her copies of our newsletter to take back to her church.

But this was the first time she ever asked me to step outside so she could share something in private.

Just outside the front door to the dry cleaners, she asked me if our church was going to be helping folks this Christmas. Of course, I said. She said if there was anyone in the congregation wanting to help a single mom with three kids, she’d be appreciative. Of course she was talking about her own family. Her girls are 17 and 16, her son 11. I had her write her phone number and the kids’ gender and ages on one of those dry cleaning order slips and promised I’d be back in touch. Their gender and age will help when it comes time to buy clothing, books and other goodies.

We said our good-byes, and she stepped back into the dry cleaners while I drove off for the church.

I do not share this in hopes of recruiting someone to add my friend and her three children to their shopping list. I am confident that the great folks at our church will be honored to reach out to her when the time comes. I share this for another reason: The leaves have yet to turn. The malls haven’t even begun to put out their holiday decorations, and we know how early they do that. But it’s never too early to start thinking about those whose Christmas comes with anxiety, especially in a year oozing with high anxiety. This little encounter should serve as an autumn reminder of the needs of the working poor, single parents, the homeless, pretty much everyone touched by this frightening downturn.

These days, the stories are everywhere, even at the dry cleaning counter.

Are you ready to celebrate, I mean really celebrate, Christmas?