Santa Claus came to our house 



My first childhood major surgery took place just a few days before my sixth birthday in December 1948. I was able to be at home for my birthday and was doing better by Christmas Eve. That was a very special Christmas. I recall that night as the family was gathered in the dinning room. Suddenly we heard strange noises on the roof of our house and the faraway sound of "ho! Ho! Ho!" My heart raced as my mother said "Oh, it must be Santa Claus!" At that time I heard the back door of the house opening and what a grand sight appeared in the dining room doorway.

There he was! The great Santa Claus in his beautiful red velvet suit with the white fur trim. Such a merry person full of laughter and good cheer. If that wasn't enough to fill the eyes and the heart of a small ill boy, then what he was pulling behind him topped off the excitement of the moment. His had was gripped around the handle a cherry red Radio Flyer wagon absolutely filled with beautifully wrapped presents: everyone of them had a gift card attached with my name on it! Santa Claus had to come our house!

I know that Santa Claus is real, for not only did he come and bring joy and happiness to a small boy who very much needed to believe in miracles so many years ago, but he returned years later to another child when he also needed assurance that good does exist and wishes can be filled.

At that Christmas time I was a father with a son. I had been ill and in the hospital in Kansas City. Parrish was concerned about my health and had been very supportive of his mother as they made trips between El Dorado Springs and Kansas City. On one trip they had done some shopping at Ward Parkway Shopping Center. There Parrish had seen Santa Claus and observed that there was a large mail box with Santa's name on it and the letters posted there were to be delivered to the North Pole

On their next trip to Kansas City Parrish asked his mother to take him to Ward Parkway so that he could mail his letter to Santa. He had drawn a Christmas stamp, cut it out and glued it on his properly addressed envelope. I recall Diana and I visited after he mailed the letter and we wondered what happened to all the letters that children mail to Santa Claus.

Just before Christmas a large business envelope addressed to Parrish arrived in our mail box. The enclosed letter was written with a calligraphy pen on a parchment-like paper. While the calligraphy script is beautiful, it is surpassed by the wondrous content of the letter. Among other things written are these words:

Inspiration is sometimes harder to find than snowflakes in Florida, and harder to grasp than the wind that whispers in the year. inspiration is a great gift that all Mankind needs this Christmas.

That letter was signed by Father Christmas. It is framed and hangs in Parrish's home today.

No value can be placed on the love that caused that letter to be written and mailed to a child who needed reassurance and inspiration that Christmas. What a wonderful world we live in which possesses humans who share the love in their hearts and make life more beautiful for children.

Lift up your fellow man, give him a helping hand
Put a little love in you heart
And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place,
For you and me, Just wait and see!

Inspiration is a great gift that all Mankind needs this Christmas.

 

 

Posted: Sun - January 1, 2006 at 06:24 PM        

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