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In an effort to diversify our holiday-related vegging-out, my husband and I recently enjoyed that forgotten favorite, “A Holiday Affair.” In this curious film an unemployed Robert Mitchum buys a widow's son a toy train, which turns out to be more than just a generous gesture, but indeed a true show of character.

I was reminded of this when I read that anonymous donors have been paying off other peoples’ Kmart layaway balances all across the country. According to this AP article, a mysterious woman paid off a struggling father’s Christmas gifts at an Indianapolis Kmart recently, while Kmart customers across the Midwest have been getting calls telling them someone paid off their layaway balances, which means they’ll be able to take their purchases home before the holiday. "It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store," said one 40-year Kmart employee. A nurse whose child’s Christmas present were anonymously paid for said, “It made me believe in Christmas again."

 Best of all, one recipient said she planned to pay it forward by taking care of someone else’s layaway balance – keeping the cycle of giving. And that, as Robert Mitchum and Santa alike can attest, is the real spirit of the season.