Joy and Reassurance

I was riding in the back seat of a car today. The traffic was terrible and we weren’t moving. Nothing I could do about it since I was not driving. (If I were, you might know I could have done something about it.)

The inside of the car was warm And the outside was cold so the windows had fogged up with condensation. I went to swipe away the water on the windows and was met with a sea of Santa’s weaving between the cars stopped on the road. The joy these Santa’s brought was real.

I forgot all about the traffic and just felt the love of Christmas that was surrounding our car. Sometimes the holiday makes you crazy, but if you sit back and let it wash over you it can transport you back to that childhood feeling of excitement that Santa was coming. (As long as you had no fear about which list you are going to be on.)

That reminds me of my favorite Santa memory with Carter. She was probably about five and we were up at the farm so we decided to go to the Danville Mall to see Santa. When it was Carter’s turn she sat next to Santa and said, “I only have one question.” I leaned in, worried about that one question was. “Which list am I on?”

That Santa looked at me and I gave him the thumbs up. He reassured Carter that she was on the good list. She felt the Christmas joy right that minute. She didn’t ask for anything specific, just reassurance. I found this very funny at the time since she was such a good kid. Perhaps I should have realized that anxiety can show up young.

We all need joy and reassurance. The best way to get it is too spread it.