The Habit of Remembering: Christmases Long, Long Ago: Part 2

You don't always need the Ghost of Christmas Past 

to remind you of the good that has been in your life...

 Sometimes all you need is reminders that you can hold in your hand

     Once upon a time there was a Little Girl who grew up in Syracuse and loved learning. She couldn't wait to be old enough to follow her big sister in school. And when she was old enough, she finally could attend Bellevue Elementary School with her big sister. As when Scrooge when he visits his old school, just thinking about her old school brings all the scents, sounds, and feelings of a 1000 memories from years ago.

     Her teachers that year were Lynda Wengle Guisbond (left) and Emma Bryant (right). She loved going to school each day as a new adventure. In spite of the pout on the face for her school pic, she really loved her class. There were books and blocks, dress-up and sewing cards, and even a pool to look forward to in her school! 

     That December, the teacher had a problem...a big problem...Santa cancelled on them!  On the day that Santa was going to visit the PreK and Kindergarten classes, at last minute the "Santa" backed out. After telling the kids all week that he was coming, the guy in the red suit called and said he wasn't going to be there. All these children had been looking forward to his visit and now he was not coming! They weren't quite sure what they were going to do. 

     Then her mom spoke up, "My husband's at home right now. We only live a couple of blocks away. He could do it. He's kind of skinny for a Santa, though."

     "Really? He can come? There's padding with the outfit and the kids won't notice," her teachers' said. Her teachers were excited and relieved.

     So her mom called home and asked her dad to come over to the school to help. While her dad didn't have any reindeer handy, he did have an Animal that would be a great ice breaker with the little kids. So he and Animal headed toward the school. 

     The Little Girl overheard her mom talking with her dad, and her mom made her promise that she wouldn't let on who the man was behind the suit so her classmates wouldn't be disappointed. She solemnly promised...the secret was safe with her.

    

     And then on cue, then what to her classmates wondering eyes should appear but Santa and a box with Animal in there! The kids came over one by one to talk with Santa and Animal. He not only came to her class, but all of the Kindergarten and PreK classes that day. Santa "Daddy" had fun bringing smiles to her classmates that day. 

     Animal made a great elf helping Santa that year. He listened patiently to the kids as they told him their wish lists. And while she knew who it really was...the Santa "Daddy" secret stayed safe with her.

     But he also had a few more tricks up that red sleeve of his that year....

     Each night her dad would go into the basement of their Bradley St apartment to work in his workshop. The Little Girl loved to follow her daddy downstairs and see what he was making next. The smell of wood and sandpaper and paints filled that area of the basement. Often like old Saint Nick himself, a light was on over his workbench but she could never quite figure out what he was making. When he heard her footsteps on the stairs, she usually saw him pick up a model car he was working on, and she would watch him paint. But that was his decoy.... 

  

     On Christmas morning the Little Girl got to see what he had been up to in the apartment's basement. In the fall, he had collected about a bucketful of horse chestnuts and drilled a hole each one. Then he swiped one of her blocks and carved the face of a snake and drilled a home on the end and attached a string of chestnuts to the block and made a lovely rattly snake. She loved that snake and kept it for years. He also carved walnuts and peach pits into baskets as Christmas ornaments. To this day, the Little Girl, now grown, can hold them in her hand and think of the joy that her Daddy brought to so many little kids--- and grown ups--- the year that Santa "Daddy" stepped up to the plate the year "Santa" had dropped out!