On Being the Claus'
Once a year my guy and I are able to pull out our alter egos and share them with the world. Santa and Mrs. Claus. It has always seemed a shame to us that children stop believing in Santa. He may not be the actual one who runs around the world delivering presents in a 24-hour period but his spirit does. It invades the hearts and minds of many people around the world and well...... Santa lives and we are proof of that. But before you begin thinking that we indulge in some sort of ego trip about the "good" that we do and the "joy" that we spread and the "material goods" we share, etc. - stop. Santa and Mrs. Claus may do all of those things and that is wonderful. But what Santa and the Mrs. get in return is an embarrassment of riches that can't be fully described. Let me tell you about this year and one of the stops we made:
In Nigeria there is an orphanage called Arrows of God. It is full to bursting; the orphanage itself is poverty stricken and struggling. The children are, unaccountably and miraculously, full of joy and health. We were privileged to visit this year and help the US Marine Corps deliver toys gathered through the Toys for Tots campaign. We were greeted with shouts of disbelief, shrieks of joy, tears of happiness and smiles. Miles of smiles. Plus hugs. And dancing. And giggles. We were swarmed by children, young adults and adults who wanted to touch, hug, kiss, talk, and share with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We heard about dreams. Fears. Failures. Successes. And, of course, who wanted what for Christmas. But not the things you would think. Yes, dolls, balls, and other toys made the occasional appearance on the list but most of all, each wished for something good for someone else. The arrival of the Claus' did not herald a rush of greed but a kind, loving thought for others. Life can be hard, unfair, and even miserable but the giving of a gift (or chance to instigate a gift) is still more precious than the receiving of a gift. Children came to us and asked us to seek out their friends who were too shy to approach us. We couldn't tell who was happier - the shy ones or the ones who pointed out the shy ones. Even when it came time to hand out gifts and Santa loosed 50 soccer balls among the children, not one ball was touched until Santa called out “Pick one up. Everyone pick one up!” Once all the toys had been handed out, each person sought out Santa and Mrs. Claus to say “thank you.” Unprompted. There was an official thank you ceremony, the children performed songs and dances and skits, but the unscripted moments spoke louder than anything that could have been planned. When it came time to go (and that time always arrives), one little girl – who could not have been older than 3 years – followed behind whispering something over and over. Finally I leaned down to hear her. She was whispering “Please come back to me. Please come back.” I gathered her in my arms and sat down. She and Mrs. Claus talked for several minutes and what was said between them is their secret. I can tell you only this much: That little girl and Mrs. Claus will walk in spirit for the rest of their lives. They both know it in their hearts.
Whatever you may believe about Santa, whatever you may think of us (and others like us) for stepping into the Claus’ shoes, understand that we are given more than we give. Joy, happiness, and hope given always seem larger to the receiver. We feel that we are the receivers.
Here are two pictures that we think capture the essence of what is given:
In Nigeria there is an orphanage called Arrows of God. It is full to bursting; the orphanage itself is poverty stricken and struggling. The children are, unaccountably and miraculously, full of joy and health. We were privileged to visit this year and help the US Marine Corps deliver toys gathered through the Toys for Tots campaign. We were greeted with shouts of disbelief, shrieks of joy, tears of happiness and smiles. Miles of smiles. Plus hugs. And dancing. And giggles. We were swarmed by children, young adults and adults who wanted to touch, hug, kiss, talk, and share with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We heard about dreams. Fears. Failures. Successes. And, of course, who wanted what for Christmas. But not the things you would think. Yes, dolls, balls, and other toys made the occasional appearance on the list but most of all, each wished for something good for someone else. The arrival of the Claus' did not herald a rush of greed but a kind, loving thought for others. Life can be hard, unfair, and even miserable but the giving of a gift (or chance to instigate a gift) is still more precious than the receiving of a gift. Children came to us and asked us to seek out their friends who were too shy to approach us. We couldn't tell who was happier - the shy ones or the ones who pointed out the shy ones. Even when it came time to hand out gifts and Santa loosed 50 soccer balls among the children, not one ball was touched until Santa called out “Pick one up. Everyone pick one up!” Once all the toys had been handed out, each person sought out Santa and Mrs. Claus to say “thank you.” Unprompted. There was an official thank you ceremony, the children performed songs and dances and skits, but the unscripted moments spoke louder than anything that could have been planned. When it came time to go (and that time always arrives), one little girl – who could not have been older than 3 years – followed behind whispering something over and over. Finally I leaned down to hear her. She was whispering “Please come back to me. Please come back.” I gathered her in my arms and sat down. She and Mrs. Claus talked for several minutes and what was said between them is their secret. I can tell you only this much: That little girl and Mrs. Claus will walk in spirit for the rest of their lives. They both know it in their hearts.
Whatever you may believe about Santa, whatever you may think of us (and others like us) for stepping into the Claus’ shoes, understand that we are given more than we give. Joy, happiness, and hope given always seem larger to the receiver. We feel that we are the receivers.
Here are two pictures that we think capture the essence of what is given:
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