Journal

Hi,

   I'm still around.  Miss you all.  I'm OK.

Here is a true story about kind people and Christmas.

Many years ago, I was teaching a class of children that were then considered mildly retarded.  Most of them could learn to read a little and could be semi-independent as adults.  On October 7 of that year, one of them had a severe accident.  He was sitting on a tractor with his dad logging.  The chain broke, the log hit the boy in the face, he fell of the tractor and was run over.  When I visited him the hospital, his nose was on the side of his face and his hip had been crushed.  He had many broken bones.  The child went through surgery and was put in a body cast.  He could lie down but not sit.  He wasn't able to return to school for months.

In early December a little girl in my class attended a Christmas party at a local factory.  She gave the Santa at the party a "dear santa" letter.  Instead of asking for things for herself, she asked Santa to do something for the little boy that was so badly hurt.  Santa talked to her parents and was given my name.

A few days later, I received a call from Santa.  He was a truck driver who took the entire month of December off to be Santa.  He was very proud of his beard that was made out of Yak hair.  He spent Christmas eve visiting prisons and hospitals.  He did everything he could to be Santa in the month of December.

Santa  wanted my help connecting with the little boys family.  After getting permission from the family, Santa and I arranged for the little boy to visit school and receive a special gift from Santa.  We had to meet in the nurses office so the child would have a place to lie down.  Santa brought the boy a big race car track and gave his mom a check to help pay the bills.  Santa gave my students and the kindergarten students candy canes. 

Santa and I kept in touch for many years.  One year he sent me money to buy a gift for all the children in my class.  He even visited me during the school year as a truck driver. If someone asks me if I believe in Santa, I always say "Yes. I know him personally."

I hope this little story brightens your day. Hugs and more hugs, Donna