As Santa and Mrs. Claus were leaving the Freeman Community Center on Dec. 15, we were a few steps away when I heard a young lady of perhaps 9 years exclaim that we were not the real Santa and Mrs. Claus.

My first intent was to immediately correct her error, but then I thought that I could certainly lose this debate. After all, she was at least in part right, we were indeed not the real Claus couple. But I did cling to the notion that she does believe that somewhere there was the true, real, one and only, Santa Claus. 

This, however, is not the “caught off guard” I am talking about. For it is certainly not the first time Santa was thrown under a bus by a youngster. No, what I am relating happened a few minutes earlier towards the very end of Santa and Mrs. Claus’s visit. We were about to call it good for the night when a boy of 9 approached and handed me a Christmas list that was haphazardly written on a Post-it Note. 

It read as follows: “Something for my parents. They are always working hard to help other people, and something for my brother, too.” 

There was no mention of anything for himself. After a brief conversation and a small bag of candy, we ended our night, but before we left, we handed the note to a very proud teary-eyed mother. She promptly attached it to their family Christmas tree. I do hope it will remain there for the life of the family.

Now to the question somewhat left unanswered as to whether Santa Claus is real. We, for us, do indeed believe Santa Claus is real. Oh, we fully realize that no one has ever discovered the actual location of the home with all the elves and reindeer and certainly no one has truly witnessed the alien encounter on Christmas Eve. Given that, there may not be a “one and only” Santa. Recently, a national news segment said there was a pandemic shortage of the red suited fellows. I am not really talking about those guys. I am referring to the plain-clothed type that surrounds us every day. Those people in our lives that selflessly care for us and our community. The neighbor who gave us a ride or brought some cookies.

Those are our Santas.

As it turns out, because of rising prices and shortages in many areas, this is perhaps a harder Christmas season for a lot of working people. Now more than ever we need a lot more of those plain-clothed Santa types. People who have the means and willingness to help wherever they can. There are a lot of people in our community that fit the bill. So let us step up and keep Santa alive and well.

On a humorous note, there were two visitors to Santa that I can assure you will in fact get what they want for Christmas. Their requests read as follows, “get me whatever you think I want cause I don’t know what I want” and “get me whatever you think I will like (cause) I do not.” Santa got it!

On that Thursday night, we were even visited by the real Santa. That heart-felt request from young Mr. Mason was our gift from Santa, even though we were the ones in the red suits. How humbling is that?

Merry Christmas to all and help us keep Santa alive and well.

Love, Santa and Mrs. Claus