'Santa Rescue' gives St. Nick-knacks
a happy home
At our house, no Santa is left behind
December 2012
For as long as I can
remember, I have always loved Santa Claus. And by that, I mean pretty much
anything that has anything to do with Santa Claus. And I think I might even be
able to pinpoint the exact moment that it all started ...
It was Christmas Eve. I was
four years old. And I guess, as children often do on that magical night, I was
resisting my Mom’s reminders that it was time for bed. Of course, she told me
what we all now know: If you are not in bed on Christmas Eve when Santa tries
to visit your house, he will not come. And JUST AT THAT MOMENT as my Mom was
saying those words – and this ACTUALLY HAPPENED – I looked out the front window
of our second floor apartment in South Wilkes-Barre, and would you believe who
was walking down our street?
Santa Claus.
I am not kidding. Apparently
“Santa” just happened to be visiting a holiday party on our street, and just at
the moment that my Mom was telling me that I better get to bed or he wouldn’t
be visiting us that night, there he was.
Mom seemed to be just as surprised
as I was, and I can't tell you how fast I ran down the hallway into my room and
jumped into bed. It was such an incredibly magical feeling, I guess it’s still
there inside me somewhere.
Throughout my childhood, I
continued to love Santa. I absolutely loved - and still do - when people have
big illuminated Santas on their front porches or rooftops and I always looked
forward to watching the “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” TV special every year.
And because my sister was 10 years my junior, we were able to have the magic of
Santa in our house all throughout my high school years. Today, I share my love
for all-things-Santa with my two children, Mary Ann and A.J.
As you might imagine, we have
a few Santas in our house, including a big ’70s-style illuminated Santa on the
front porch. It's the same kind I remember seeing around the neighborhoods when
I was a kid, and whenever we put it out, it takes me back to those times.
Back in 2012, I decided to
start a new Santa tradition with my two children. We call it the “Santa
Rescue.” Though I don't often frequent
stores such as the Salvation Army or The Goodwill, whenever I do find myself
there – usually looking for an old cassette deck or something to do with vintage
music – I always notice one thing:
Santas.
They always seem to have a
lot of cool little Santa knick-knacks for sale. Even if you go to one of those
stores in the summertime, you see
Santas. Every August, my church holds a bazaar and flea market, and there is
always a Christmas table at the flea market, and one of the things I’ve always
noticed is that there are also usually a few Santas.
Well, in 2012, some of
those Santas starting getting a new home, and I can still remember the day that,
Mary Ann, A.J. and I went out on our first “Santa Rescue.” We went to a few of
those Sally-type stores, all within just a few miles of home, and we bought
five nice little Santas. They were of good quality, they featured nice detail,
and they looked like they needed a good home for Christmas. We spent about $3
dollars.
Under the base of each Santa,
I wrote a number “12,” so that we would always know that 2012 was the year when
that particular Santa joined our own mini North Pole. It’s something that we have
done every year since. And little by little, our collection has grown. And when
it’s time to decorate for the holidays, we always find a shelf or a nice place
in the house to display our Santas. We plan on rescuing a few more this year,
and writing the number “23” under the base.
It's funny, but I remember about two years
ago, at the start of the holiday season, we were on a Santa Rescue, and we came
across one that I thought we would pass on buying. I don’t recall exactly why.
Maybe we already had one that looked like it, or I just didn’t like something
about it. But my son insisted that we get it.
“No Santa left behind,” he
said. I burst out laughing, and I was proud of his thoughtfulness and kindness. He understood, better than I did, what the "Santa Rescue" was all about. And we took that Santa home.
Like most families, we have
quite a few nice holiday traditions. There are people and places that we visit
and customs that we enjoy. In 2012, we started a new one. And though it
only takes about an hour, once or twice during the holiday season, and it comes
with no great expense, it’s something we still look forward to each year. It
feels good to rescue a Santa, and perhaps return to him a little of that
special Christmas magic that he gave to me on that memorable Christmas Eve all
of those years ago.
Someone told me once, many
years ago, that there is no greater compliment than when someone feels welcome in
your home. And, I've learned that welcoming someone into your home, though a
simple gesture, is one of the kindest things that you can do for someone. And Santa
– or, should I say, Santas – will always be welcome in ours.
Merry Christmas.
