Santa’s Sleigh Spends $41.78

True Story of Santa's SleighLet me tell you a little bit about my wife. She has an extraordinary talent in connecting with people. She is in tune to spirit and emotion in a significant way. I cannot take her to the airport without her crying — that’s how sensitive she is to other people, even strangers.

I cannot take her anywhere, it seems, without running into to someone she knows.

Once we were on a cruise in the middle of the Pacific ocean. She got to talking to a lady while we waited for a show to begin and discovered a neighbor from her childhood. This kind of thing happens ALL the time with her.

This week she has been driving kids from my daughter’s choir group to various venues. They are performing Christmas music in churches and nursing homes and such. While at a performance my wife met an elderly lady she connected with. After talking with her for a while she came home and said, “Give me the credit card to Santa’s Sleigh, I’ve got a project”.

Last night I came home to my wife all aglow with the Christmas spirit. Gleefully she handed me receipts tallying $41.78.

This sweet lady was moved to this local facility by a son of hers last April. She has not has a visitor from her family since. Sandy got to talking to her and it was her desire to send a Christmas card to her grandchildren and great grandchildren in Montana. Sandy talked her into letting her come pick her up and take her out to get those cards.

They spent five hours together. Sandy got from her a recipe for some bread she plans to make, at this lady’s request. They laughed and, of course, cried, over all they had in common. Sandy was able to talk her into getting a “few little things” and mailing them with her at the post office so that her grandchildren would get a little more than a card for Christmas “from their Gram”.

I honestly cannot say who benefit more from this visit. I personally have not met this lady yet but she sounds wonderful. Sandy told her all about Santa’s Sleigh and My Merry Christmas and this lady got all fired up and asked how she could get into the Christmas Card exchange next year. I have a feeling this may change how the exchange grows down the road.

In any event, this was one of the more personal associations with Santa’s Sleigh and I want to encourage more like this. Too often we say “I haven’t the time” or “I wish I could…” and I think what my wife teaches me over and over is that we DO have time and just deny ourselves opportunities to serve others in this way.

I hope you will consider reaching out in your community and if you find even a small need that Santa’s Sleigh can help with — even one as small as $41.78 — then we want to help.

This is what we do.

It’s never about the money. It’s about the heart. And often it is as good medicine for us as it is for the people we’re helping.

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