Yes- Covid, There is a Santa Claus

2020- the year of upside down and backward. It is a cross between Nightmare on Elm Street and Aliens. As we embark on this season of giving, you may be feeling quite Grinchy. I know I was. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… job loss, unpaid bills, and quarantine. Sound catchy? Wait, it is catchy. Statistics are staggering, supporting the above and here we are.

As a member of a large family with many small nieces, nephews, and great-nieces, I was worried. How do we keep the spirit of Christmas alive for them and us? More than ever, many of us are just trying to find the energy to get through the season. This is the first year I can remember where I was dreading the holidays. We all can’t be with those we love. Many do not have the means for essentials, let alone gifts. How do you tell your children that Christmas could be canceled? We all need to believe that this time of year can bring hope and, yes, miracles. 

 Yes, Covid- there is a Santa Claus. In a small town on the Rhode Island coast, I have discovered the true meaning of Christmas. Since traditional Santa visits could not happen, a savvy group of volunteers devised a plan to bring Santa’s workshop down from the North Pole to the corner of State Street and Hope Street in Bristol, RI. A building owner with a vacant storefront donated space, and an incredibly talented group of elves, lead the charge. What they accomplished was beyond what any child’s imagination could conjure. Behind a beautifully dressed window, the workshop displays all the magic of the North Pole and all the toys that a child could want. Santa is busy behind his desk checking his list twice, while a live reindeer cam sits on the wall above his head. You can see all of Santa’s reindeer preparing for their Christmas Eve flight. If you are lucky, Santa will come to the window and give you a wink and a smile. As a volunteer for the event, I got to see the faces of those children walking past his workshop for the first time. It was pure joy during a time when joy and hope come at a premium.

SO yes, Covid- there is a Santa Claus!!! “ He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist,” in this amazing community. When the people are called to serve, they do that and so much more. Thank you for making it feel like Christmas.

 Happiest of Holidays to all.

Jodi L. Leffingwell Ed.D

Resources:

https://www.newseum.org/exhibits/online/yes-virginia-there-is-a-santa-claus/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CYes%2C%20Virginia%2C%20There%20is%20a%20Santa%20Claus%E2%80%9D%20Eight-year-old,and%20other%20editorials%2C%20and%20on%20posters%20and%20stamps