Monday, December 6, 2010

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories, Day 6 - Santa Claus

Do I believe in Santa Claus?

Of course I still believe in Santa!  I had been admiring a toy carpet sweeper in the Montgomery Ward window for some weeks.  One evening my mother returned from work and headed straight up the stairs with a peculiar package - the bottom wrapped but shaped much like that toy carpet sweeper and a long wooden handle sticking out.  Rather incrimating.  Next time we went downtown, the carpet sweeper was gone from the window.  On Christmas morning, an identical carpet sweeper was under my Christmas tree.  I was just a week away from my 4th birthday, but I knew my Mom had bought that toy at "Monkey Ward" and tried to spirit it up the stairs. 

So I knew the score.  But it didn't matter then - I had that much desired toy - and it doesn't matter now.  I still believe in the magic.  Santa Claus lived in my mother's heart that Christmas and he still dwells in mine.

When my own daughter was just about the same age, she experienced a very special bit of Santa magic.  She was sick that year and couldn't go to the church party to visit Santa, but he appeared at our front door.  [After the party at church and per special instructions from someone who knew him quite well.] 

We took pictures with the Polaroid we had at the time.  It's really hard to get a double exposure with a Polaroid but somehow I managed.  When my little daughter saw the picture, she said "Look, it's the sugar plums!"

 ...you know, those sugar plums that "danced in their heads".

See for yourself!