Being Santa Claus : What I Learned About the True Meaning of Christmas (9781101600528) Read Free

into the station with your white hair and beard I thought, ‘This year, we could actually have
Santa Claus
deliver the presents!’ And then when I saw you last weekend wearing that red hat, I knew we needed to go out first thing Monday morning and get this suit for you.”
    “Well, Mike, I don’t know…” I felt a little awkward. I didn’t want to say no, but I’d never given out presentsto kids while I was dressed as Santa before. “I’m not sure how it would work,” I admitted, “or that I’d know what to say to the kids.”
    “Oh, that part’s easy,” he said, laughing. “We’ll have everything set up for you. We have a red van that we’ll fill up with toys. Half are wrapped in blue paper for the boys, and the others are in pink for the girls. We’ll give you the address to take them to, you drive there, and people will be waiting outside with the kids. You’ll get out and just hand out the presents. You don’t have to say anything at all except maybe ‘Ho, ho, ho!’”
    I was still a little hesitant. I wanted to help, but I had two businesses to run and a family to support. “How often would you need me?” I asked.
    “I know you’re busy with your businesses, and we’ll work around your schedule,” he assured me. “Even if you get in only one or two appearances, it’ll be a really great thing to do for the kids.”
    For the kids
…
    I thought of Ashley. My new stepdaughter meant the world to me, and Linda and I were looking forward to sharing a wonderful Christmas morning with her as she tore open gifts with squeals and whoops of glee. But what about all those children whose families didn’t have enough to get them even one gift? Or the ones who didn’t even have a family to begin with? I knew the kids would get the donated toys from the radio station even if I didn’t do it myself, but what a difference itwould make if those children were able to receive a gift from Santa himself. With that in mind, I agreed. Unbeknownst to me, my days as Santa had officially begun.
    Step one was getting myself geared up as Santa Claus for my first appearance. I’d never seen a Santa outfit up close, but to my relief it wasn’t too complicated to figure out. First came the elastic-waist red clown pants; those were easy. Then the coat; it was a little tricky making sure my long beard didn’t get caught in the snaps! On went the belt, followed by the boot toppers, and then the iconic hat. And then, of course, the finishing touches: the white gloves and glasses. I was ready.
    I’d love to tell you that when I turned to look in the mirror, trumpets heralded and the angels started to sing. But really, all I saw was just regular Sal Lizard in a bulky Santa outfit. I didn’t think I looked all that much like Santa, but I figured it was probably close enough that I could pull it off.
    Okay,
I thought.
Here we go…

    IT TURNED OUT TO BE A REAL HOOT DRIVING the red van around town. On my way to the various drop-off locations, the radio station would announce over the air that Santa was driving around Charleston, and anyone who spotted him could phone in and win something. Callers had lots of fun, reporting Santasightings on this street or that highway. People driving past me would honk and wave, and I’d cheerfully do the same in response. I didn’t expect it, but I was having a jolly old time.
    The best part, of course, was the children. They would cheer wildly when I got out of the van and started handing out presents. And their faces! I’ll remember forever those expressions of utter adoration. Each time, there was this electric moment when they first saw me—a jaw-dropping flash of awe followed by unbridled excitement. And to think I could elicit all that for a child. What a wonderful feeling!
    At first, I thought I would just stick with “Ho, ho, ho!” but after the first few days, I felt comfortable enough to start improvising just a tiny bit. I asked some of the children their names, and told