FAITH AND SANTA
Always believe in MIRACLES!! Three years ago, a little boy and his
grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child
climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.
"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he
said
sadly.
Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw
her
dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the
child
exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.
Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face,
asking
him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.
When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the
child
off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.
"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.
"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ." the old
woman
began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect
the
little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the
photograph... my granddaughter well, you see ... she has leukemia
and
isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through
tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that
you
could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to
see
Santa."
Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave
information
with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could
do.
Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what
he
had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed,
dying," he
thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."
When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening,
he
retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was
staying.
He
asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's
Hospital.
"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier
that
day. "C'mon.... I'll take you there," Rick said softly.
Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They
found out
which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the
hall.
Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and
saw
little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her
family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met
earlier
that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed,
gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman
who he
discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with
weary,
sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense
the
warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for
Sarah.
Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered
the
room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"
"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed
to
run to him, IVtubes in tact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a
warm
hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up
at
him with
wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore
telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw
when
he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and
he
had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted
upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the
women in
the room.
As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside
one
by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering
"thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. Santa
and
Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she
wanted
for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. As
their time together
dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked
for
permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the
entire
family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands. Santa looked
intensely at
Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.
"Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed.
"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you, "he said. Laying
one
hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked
that
God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked
that
angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished
praying,
still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy
Night.... all is calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still
holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy
for
this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When the song ended, Santa
sat
on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in
his
own.
"Now, Sarah, "he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that
is
to
concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with
your
friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair
Mall
this time next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this
little
girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the
greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of
HOPE.
"Yes, Santa! "Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Out
in the
hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them
and
they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of
the
room quicklyand rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This
is
the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.
One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for
his
six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by
and
then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. "Hi, Santa! Remember
me?!"
"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down
at
her.
After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each
child
feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment.
"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped.
Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little
miracle
and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely
recognized
her,for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much
different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He
looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines
smiling
and waving and wiping
their eyes.
That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed
--and
been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of
hope.
This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well.
He
silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father.
'Tis
a very, Merry Christmas!
Always believe in MIRACLES!! Three years ago, a little boy and his
grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child
climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.
"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he
said
sadly.
Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw
her
dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the
child
exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.
Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face,
asking
him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.
When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the
child
off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.
"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.
"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ." the old
woman
began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect
the
little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the
photograph... my granddaughter well, you see ... she has leukemia
and
isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through
tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that
you
could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to
see
Santa."
Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave
information
with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could
do.
Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what
he
had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed,
dying," he
thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."
When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening,
he
retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was
staying.
He
asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's
Hospital.
"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier
that
day. "C'mon.... I'll take you there," Rick said softly.
Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They
found out
which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the
hall.
Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and
saw
little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her
family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met
earlier
that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed,
gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman
who he
discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with
weary,
sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense
the
warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for
Sarah.
Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered
the
room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"
"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed
to
run to him, IVtubes in tact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a
warm
hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up
at
him with
wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore
telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw
when
he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and
he
had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted
upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the
women in
the room.
As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside
one
by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering
"thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. Santa
and
Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she
wanted
for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. As
their time together
dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked
for
permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the
entire
family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands. Santa looked
intensely at
Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.
"Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed.
"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you, "he said. Laying
one
hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked
that
God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked
that
angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished
praying,
still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy
Night.... all is calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still
holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy
for
this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When the song ended, Santa
sat
on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in
his
own.
"Now, Sarah, "he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that
is
to
concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with
your
friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair
Mall
this time next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this
little
girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the
greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of
HOPE.
"Yes, Santa! "Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Out
in the
hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them
and
they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of
the
room quicklyand rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This
is
the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.
One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for
his
six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by
and
then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. "Hi, Santa! Remember
me?!"
"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down
at
her.
After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each
child
feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment.
"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped.
Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little
miracle
and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely
recognized
her,for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much
different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He
looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines
smiling
and waving and wiping
their eyes.
That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed
--and
been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of
hope.
This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well.
He
silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father.
'Tis
a very, Merry Christmas!
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