A grand total of €3,656,000 was collected in the annual charity drive l-Istrina on Boxing Day, which beat the already record figure of €3,414,386 which was raised in 2013. Once again, the Maltese people strove to do what they could to raise money for charity and to help those who are in need.

Politicians and celebrities also got involved, some taking phone calls and others making themselves look silly for a cause, others just helping with the donkey work... the list goes on and on. Praise must also go out to those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, not just on the night, but for months in advance.

President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said, in her message after the event, that the Maltese are "Simply the best" and "one team". And we are, when we can put aside our petty differences and work as a team.

All too often, this island ends up polarised. Whether it is about politics, football, opinion, an argument; we always seem to end up in two opposing camps and one could say that it shows the split personality of our society.

Both political leaders also cast aside any differences and urged the people of Malta to give what they could and that although we often bicker, we do come together to help others when they need it.

Three former Presidents, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Eddie Fenech Adami and George Abela all said what a special experience it is to be part of L-Istrina, and they also said that they felt it was a day where all Maltese come together.

So we do have to ask, why is it that we cannot seem to achieve such harmony - or at least tolerance - when we go about our daily lives? Why can we often not find it in ourselves to carry out daily, small, but charitable actions that will help others?

It is a question that perhaps many societies ask themselves. But when a society is as tight-knit as this one, then we should perhaps try even harder to be more aware of the needs of others. We must also remember that Malta is nothing short of a miracle, a tiny outcrop of islands in the Mediterranean that has managed to develop a national identity and a culture of its own. It is a unique state and with that uniqueness comes challenges, such as that of making headway in a rat race like the world has never seen before. Yet not only do we survive, but we thrive. Imagine what we could do if we actually put those differences aside and embrace the values of L-Istrina on a daily basis. It is a wonderful thing to raise more funds year after year, but charity does not only involve money, it involves behaviour towards others.