It really is a wonderful time of the year…
For a few years now, my wife and I have been working with the Salvation Army in Oshawa and Port Perry working with their Christmas Kettles.
I love people watching. Sometimes they are funny, sometimes serious, and strange yet often times just plain crazy!
What I enjoy most is their facial expressions when I say,” Have a good night (or day)”, and ”Merry Christmas!” They may have the biggest frown you ever did see, as they are walking towards you, and sometimes looking away to avoid eye contact, but as soon as they hear you, that face changes to the biggest smile ever. Some are so happy to hear me say “Merry Christmas” to them that they reply with the same greeting.
Some like to chat about how the Salvation Army has helped them, or the help their parents received from them overseas during WWII. Others like to give us a big hug to say “Thank you” for what you and the Salvation Army does in the community.
The kids don’t always know what to make of this. Some guy looks like Santa standing (or sometimes sitting) by this big contraption holding a red bucket people are putting money into. What is that? What’s it for? Questions always asked by kids.
Last year, a couple nights before Christmas, I could hear a mother behind me tell her 3-4 year old son, “Go ask him.” The little boy slowly came to me and raised his shy head and asked, in a very hushed voice, if I was Santa? I looked down past his black hair and deep into his matching black eyes and roared a “Ho, Ho, Ho” at him and asked, “What do you think?” His eyes went wide. Meanwhile I had reached into my vest pocket and handed him a candy cane before he could bolt away. He smiled, said thanks, and took off to his mother and sputtered, “It is him, it is him”.
As they walked to the exit door I turned to them and said ,”See you soon little one.” His mother smiled and nodded a thank you to me. Then in my Santa voice I said loudly, “Merry Christmas everyone!” Everybody near me grinned and nodded approval of what had just happened.
That is part of the reason why we keep coming back each year to work the Christmas Kettles.
Enjoy your family , Have a Merry Christmas and HO, HO, HO!
