It’s the Chris-i-mus

It was the year of the lost rolls of film. BoBo was about 2 years old, and cuter than the cutest of kids. It was the year that Tom’s hair was almost as long as mine. And it was a year where one of my most magical Christmas memories comes from.

As you know, Santa Claus already has the challange of getting his presents delivered all around the world in a single night. Sure the time zones help, and there is those flying reindeers that seem to defy all logical sense, and still it remains a remarkable feat. But on this particular year, Santa arrived at our home a bit earlier than usual.

Santa’s early arrival was a special gift that he gave to me, as I was to leave for work early Christmas morning for a 12-hour shift in the Pediatric ICU. I did NOT want to miss the first Christmas where young BoBo was aware of the whole Santa thing. Thanks to Santa, I didn’t miss a thing.

Let me share the story with you:

At bathtime, on Christmas Eve many years ago, young BoBo heard bells gently ringing just outside of the bathroom window. “HO HO HO,” Santa cheerfully said.

BoBo’s attention was quickly diverted from his toys. He began scrambling to get out of the tub as quickly as he could. He announced with glee, “It’s the Chris-i-mus!!” “Hello Chris-i-mus. I’m coming to play,” he replied.

With much excitement, BoBo dressed in his jammies as quickly as he could. DD helped him. As soon as he was dressed, he ran to find the Chris-i-mus (otherwise known as “Santa”). He ran right past the tree several times in his search.

Like magic, the floor underneath the tree had changed from empty to completely filled with a blanket of colorfully wrapped presents. But BoBo didn’t even notice.

When he finally realized that he had missed his friend, he was a little sad. DD reminded BoBo that Santa had a BIG job to do that night. Although BoBo had no concept of just what this meant, he did understand that the Chris-i-mus was already on his way to the next house. When he saw the presents beneath the tree, he was even more delighted.

Happy Holidays!