I play Santa during the Christmas season, in full costume. You never know what you will face as a Santa. Most of the time, you are just a stage prop for families coming to create memories related to their annual traditions. Mom and dad’s often have a string of Santa pictures through the years as one of the ways they track the growth of their children. You can see the, “Not again,” face in some of the kids faces as they grow older. Still, most play along because it is the price you pay for being family.

Three truly touching events happened this year. Each remind that, even in a joyful season, suffering and sorrow exist.

1. An older woman who had a stroke and realized she had become handicapped wanted to sit with Santa. She looked sincerely into my face and told me that she wanted her mind back. I could see the pain in her awareness. I took her hands in mine, and we prayed together. It was all I knew to do.
2. An elderly woman came in with dementia. Her family surrounded her with love and wanted to give her a visit with Santa because it fit where she was mentally/emotionally. The Chamber, my sponsor, provided the time I needed to visit with her and let her family use the time to love on her. She may have been unaware, but the love she was given by her family was beautiful to see.
3. A woman came in with three teen daughters, dressed alike, and a framed picture. The picture was of her only son who had died in late May, in the same month after graduating high school. She wept profusely while I held the picture and the daughters posed. She was truly brave and thanked me, who had done nothing, for being there. Rarely do you get to see such courage in such a painful time as I did with her visit.

I have much to learn from my interactions with others. I will write another, but lighter, post of reflections on Santa soon.