Playing Santa

I think the best thing I ever did for Christmas for others was dressing up as Santa. I didn't need a pillow, and as I'm tall, well, 'nuff said.

I generally wear small glasses so I can work on a computer, so I dressed up in the Santa suit, donned the wig and beard and with my sack of candy canes went to greet the residents of the nursing home.

I didn't realize that the beard and wig would make me so hot, when I breathed steam would fog up my glasses. The room was full of wheelchairs and residents, family members and workers, in other words, the room was jammed.

I was making the last turn of the room and there she was. A little girl, who must have been three, was standing on a table and her gaze was fixed on me.

She believed that I was Santa.

You could see it in her face, as it glowed with amazement. I knew I couldn't blow it, I Ho-Ho-Ho'ed, and strode up to her. I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, with a deep manly voice to keep the image. After she was done, I gave her a hug and a candy cane and made my exit.

It was one of the sweetest moments in my life.