As some of you know, this past Saturday I had a show. It was fifteen degrees and the snow was coming down hard that day so very few people showed up, I had just moved locally the day before and I was grumpy. Sad. Exhausted. Yes, definitely you could say, ‘bah humbug’ was my mantra. As I left the gallery into the bitter cold, I thought, “run, don’t walk home to my sea of boxes, a life strewn everywhere”. Ugh. More work.
There to my wondering eyes was Santa and Mrs. Claus. As I began to veer even faster, picking up speed, I thought that’s just for kids, bah humbug, don’t make eye contact and I can escape. Through Santa’s fake beard, elastic straps showing, he said, “I would love to see your dog, she’s beautiful.” As I stood there freezing my feet off in my little cowgirl boots, I began to get lost in his eyes, his stories of love, of kindness, of children and I began to feel a bit dizzy like I was entering another dimension. Then a little girl came up and he spoke to her. He said, “make a wish, spin three times and on Christmas eve it will come true”. Her face said it all.
There was only one word. I experienced MAGIC.
Sometimes it takes Santa in a fake beard to remind us today will never come again. To be a blessing to someone. To be a friend, even to a stranger. To notice someone. Did he sense my sadness and exhaustion and invite me over for that reason? I’ll never know. But he took time to care. He let his words heal and not wound.
As his bright blue eyes twinkled at me as I said goodbye, I pondered how we often forget the magic of the holidays as adults. I started my truck, the radio switched on and the Beatles blared, “the sun is up, the sky is blue, it’s beautiful and so are you”. I drove away beaming. Ten minutes of Santa transformation.
If this season becomes hard, too much to do, or if you’re lonely, and let’s face it, we all feel so much pressure this time of year, remember what Santa showed me…
Be the reason someone smiles today.
That’s where the magic lies.
Nancy + Team Sweetbird