A Visit from Santa Claus
Story by Sharlee Plett
Santa Claus came every year to my house when I was a little girl, flying through the night skies in Saskatchewan and later Alberta over the snow covered horizon.
One year, when I was about five years old, I was laying awake on Christmas Eve. I had been warned that I shouldn’t get out of bed, but I couldn’t help it, I just had to get up and look out the window, pressing my nose against the frost covered glass, hoping and praying to see the reindeer sleigh against the moonlight.
As I peered out the window, the house was completely still except for the clicking of the furnace. Then I thought I heard some shuffling downstairs. I crept out of my bedroom and down the stairs as quietly as I could. I was sure it was Santa Claus and I didn’t want to get caught peeking.
Hiding in a corner and peering into the living room, I could see our Christmas tree. My Mom and Dad had left the lights on the tree and the room was bathed in the warm glow of the Christmas tree lights. To my amazement, Santa Claus came out of the kitchen. Sure enough, he was all dressed in red and he was eating one of the cookies my brother and I had left out for him! Frozen in surprise, I couldn’t move a muscle, just watched as he crossed the living room, turning his back to me to do something under the Christmas tree.
I realized that if he turned around he would see me, and my Mom told me that little children who didn’t behave themselves might not have their stockings filled, so while he had his back to me I ran as fast as I could back down the hall, up the stairs and jumped into my bed. I pulled the covers up and closed my eyes, just in case he came upstairs to check on my brother and me. I laid there hugging myself, with a sense of wonder and delight. Really, it was one of the best moments in my life!
I must have fallen asleep right away, for when I woke it was Christmas morning. I ran downstairs and checked the milk and cookies we had left out for Santa Claus. The milk glass was empty, the cookies had been eaten and my Christmas stocking was bulging with goodies.
Then my Mom came down and I told her I had seen Santa Claus. She smiled and said, “That’s wonderful darling!” So even she thought it could happen!
Was it just imagination? Perhaps. But saying it was just the over active imagination of a small child doesn’t take away the reality of the moment, that precious feeling of magic and wonder that made that Christmas Eve so special that I remember it vividly to this day!