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I was commenting on a post when this memory came up.
Years ago... a friend asked me to take her son Christmas shopping. He was 8 years old at the time. He had been subdued that day, maybe a bit depressed. We were sitting on a bench at the mall when I found out why. He asked me if I believed in Santa Claus.
I told him I did. His face filled with skepticism as he said, "You DO?" I could tell he thought he knew the truth about Santa, so I filled him in on details he was missing.
"Santa may not be a real person like you and me, but he lives in all of our hearts. That's what makes him real. Come on. I'll show you," I told him. Then we walked over to the Giving Tree at the mall. I told him I was Santa every year to someone who wouldn't have anything at all for Christmas, a total stranger. I told him now that he knew the truth about Santa that he could become Santa himself. He selected a tag from the tree for a boy his age. We went to the toy store and filled that wish. He handed the toy over to the people at the receiving desk with such a great smile and a sparkle in his eyes that I almost cried. Then we conspired to bring Santa to his mom and had her name glued onto a Christmas stocking. We filled it with little inexpensive goodies.
Then he really knew the truth about Santa. Santa lives. It's true.
I only wish I knew where he is today and whether he is still being Santa or not. Somehow, I think he is.
Years ago... a friend asked me to take her son Christmas shopping. He was 8 years old at the time. He had been subdued that day, maybe a bit depressed. We were sitting on a bench at the mall when I found out why. He asked me if I believed in Santa Claus.
I told him I did. His face filled with skepticism as he said, "You DO?" I could tell he thought he knew the truth about Santa, so I filled him in on details he was missing.
"Santa may not be a real person like you and me, but he lives in all of our hearts. That's what makes him real. Come on. I'll show you," I told him. Then we walked over to the Giving Tree at the mall. I told him I was Santa every year to someone who wouldn't have anything at all for Christmas, a total stranger. I told him now that he knew the truth about Santa that he could become Santa himself. He selected a tag from the tree for a boy his age. We went to the toy store and filled that wish. He handed the toy over to the people at the receiving desk with such a great smile and a sparkle in his eyes that I almost cried. Then we conspired to bring Santa to his mom and had her name glued onto a Christmas stocking. We filled it with little inexpensive goodies.
Then he really knew the truth about Santa. Santa lives. It's true.
I only wish I knew where he is today and whether he is still being Santa or not. Somehow, I think he is.
