Elf Magic
I
woke up with butterflies, filled with excitement. As I ate breakfast, I
recalled the conversation that Rick (Santa) and I had the week before. He
called to remind me that on this day, we were to leave all troubles, worries
and personal issues aside and become Santa and his Elf. This day was important.
This day was magical, spiritual. He then told me that we would be remembered
for a lifetime in some of these children's hearts. What a wonderful man he is,
to take on the task of becoming Santa with such respect and responsibility.
I
had laid out my Elf Costume the night before. Jingly hat, Red knickers, Elf
Booties, all in red and green, of course. I braided my hair, added sparkly
eyeshadow and glitter to my everyday make up, because everyone knows that Elves
sparkle. Still feeling butterflies, I gathered the rest of my things and headed
into town. Stopping at the store for a few 'extras', I noticed the peculiar
looks from adults. I guess it takes the mind and heart of a child to truly
understand the enchantment of an Elf.
The
snow was gently falling which added even more of a sense of wonder to the day.
I knew that I was ready for whatever was in store.
Our
photographer specializes in families and children and we knew that she was
going to capture some amazing memories today. The Santa Photo staff, members of
our local Kiwanis Club were setting up and preparing for the arrival of the
many children, eager to tell Santa what they wanted. Order forms, check,
printers and paper, check, photographer, check, Santa and his Elf,
check....5,4,3,2,1....GO!
We
saw the usual type of child, excited to spend a few minutes with jolly ol' St.
Nick, and of course, the little ones that would scream at the very sight of
him. A few even remembered me from last year, which of course, confirmed the
actual existence of Elves in their minds. As the children stood in line, I
approached them and bent down, so that I was at their level. The smile in my
heart spread to my face and I asked if they were ready to see Santa. Some of
the children said that they were scared and did their best to hide behind the
legs of any nearby adult. I gently peered around the adult and told them that I
had something special that would take away all of their scared feelings. I
pulled out a small jar of Magic Elf Dust from my pocket and opened the lid.
Asking them to hold out their hands, I sprinkled the sparkly magic onto their
heads and let it fall onto their hands. I wanted to know if they felt scared
now, they shook their heads and we grasped hands and walked slowly over to
where Santa sat in his large chair. The magic was working...we could all feel
it. The pictures were the proof and the looks on the children's faces was the
icing on the cake.Some of the children brought gifts to Santa, one that stands
out was a small bag of carrots for the Reindeer. A few brought special artwork
that they had created just for Santa, a few had written out their lists and one
even brought a melted piece of candy that looked partially eaten. I told them
all that I would place them in Santa's Big Gift Box so that he could take them
back to the North Pole.
While
children were in the room, I never saw Rick break from the character of Santa.
He really was Santa, a real snowy white beard, wire rimmed glasses,
sparkle in his eye, a voice that enchanted even the adults. During one of the
slow moments, I stood back and pondered the thought of an average wife and
mother, becoming an Elf for a day. How often does this really happen? How lucky
was I, that I could give a gift such as this to all of these children? Children
from all types of families. Rich, poor, those from religious homes and those
that knew nothing of the traditional meaning of Christmas. I gave the same
attention to all of the children because they each deserved my best.
Generally,
when toddlers come to see Santa, they are excited and when asked what they
would like for Christmas, they respond with a list of their favorite toys. A
small boy, about 3 years old, approached with a middle aged woman. We did what
we normally do; Santa greeted him, I helped to position him on Santa's lap and
then the question of what he wanted was asked. We were not prepared for his
response. With a quiet voice he stated that he wanted his adoption to be
finished so that he could have a mom and dad. Silence. Rick and I shot a glance
at one another, realizing the enormity of what had just been said. Holding back
the tears until the little boy and his guardian left the room, we then held up
the line of children so that we could break down. With that one little boy, the
entire meaning behind what we were there to do, came into focus. I wept. I
couldn't stop. Rick and I just sat and cried. What are we supposed to do with a
wish like that? If Elf Magic did exist, I was heaping it onto this little
child, engaging the powers of Santa, all of the Elves and each of the Reindeer
to make this Christmas wish come true. How insignificant are all of our
problems and complaints in comparison to what this 3 year old wished for
Christmas? We were in awe. I cannot recall a time in my entire life where I
felt so small and powerless. Being a mother as well as an Elf, I just wanted to
hug, nurture, and care for this little boy. How in the world could I get
through the rest of the day?
Somehow,
we managed to pull ourselves together and continue on. We talked with big kids,
who of course, thought that they were much too old to visit Santa, much less
sit on his lap! At the slightest doubt of Santa's existence, out came the Magic
Elf Dust...sprinkling the wonderful sparkles onto older children always
resulted in giggles and a look of embarrassment. I could tell that there was
now a question in their minds...just maybe, there really was a Santa? An older
girl, that I remembered from the year before came in with her mother. I guessed
her age to be 13 or 14 but she was obviously mentally delayed and was more like
a child of 6 or 7. She remembered me also. Since there were no other children
in line, Santa and I spent a little more time with her. She wanted a baby doll
and stuffed dog for Christmas. She liked my striped socks and my hat with
jingle bells. She knew this was the real Santa because of his beard. As she got
up to leave, I asked her if she wanted to know what extra special thing I
brought with me. I stood next to her and we looked eye to eye. She was
entranced and ready to see what I had. As I pulled the Magic Elf Dust out of my
pocket, her eyes lit up, her smile broadened and she began to giggle. I
sprinkled the sparkly dust all over her and as her mother stood by, I again,
felt the magic of the moment. Not surprisingly, tears started to form in the
corners of my eyes. Keep it together for a few more minutes, I told myself. As
she closely inspected the fallen glitter that was now covering her hands, her
mother pulled me aside and told me how much I had meant to her daughter over
the last year. She talked about 'The Elf' for an entire year. And here I was
again, to confirm in her mind, the reality of Elf Magic. This 'job' of being
the Elf was so much more than just a volunteer position for the day. This was
an honor, a privilege, something that I could do to 'pay it forward'. Those
that know me, know that I am a huge supporter of volunteering. It seems that
each time I give of myself, be it time, talent, work of some kind...I am always
left with the feeling that I was given far more that what I offered to start
with. I believe that true magic happened in that little room that day. I saw
it, I felt it and I have no doubts that Elf Magic was present through each
moment.
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