“Clothe yourselves with compassion, humility, kindness, and
patience." ~ Colossians 3:12
Maury had grown weary and who
could blame him. At 71, he’d been doing
the St. Nick shtick for over 25 years.
Technically, there's not much to being Santa Claus. You must follow a script that deals with both
children and adults – the main questions being "Have you been good?"
and "What do you want for Christmas?"
You must wave at every person in eyeshot. And shout "Ho ho ho!" occasionally then
bellow, "Merry Christmas!" in a jolly yet grumbly voice.
But there’s a few challenges.
Looking the part is sweaty and
expensive. Encased in fur and velvet,
cinched into gut-crushing belts and boots that don’t breathe, he became a rock
star of the holiday stage hawking overpriced 8x10s. Hopefully, there’s bathroom nearby – it takes
about 15 minutes to escape his custom-made outfit.
His real beard requires careful styling. Too much bleaching and it burns or turns
yellow.
Sitting in the same spot for long hours does a number on his
body‚ as does being tugged, hugged, squished and squeezed by hundreds of
strangers. At 6 feet tall and 276
pounds, staying in shape requires yearlong exercise.
Don’t even talk to him about the unruly boy who punched him
in the private parts, the baby vomiting on his chest, or the girl wetting her
tights while sitting in his lap.
When asked what it's like playing Santa, Maury says that it “simultaneously
destroys and builds up your view of humanity.”
Occasionally kids blow your mind, and not in a good way. A shocking number of kids ask for expensive gifts
like the computers and flat screen TVs. A
7-year-old asked for a Corvette last year.
There are humorous requests – a unicorn that poops rainbows,
a penis (Peanuts) book, or a maid to clean his room. Sad ones include getting dad out of jail,
giving a blind sister the power of sight and bringing Mom home for Christmas (who’d
recently died in Afghanistan).
Then there was little Maddie.
When Maury heard her story, he showed compassion for the
5-year-old battling cancer. He took her
hand, and placed a small bell in it, saying that every time she rings the bell,
Santa, Mrs. Claus, and all the elves will pray for her recovery. He added that he knew that she’ beat cancer.
It took everything he had not to weep. Maury called a break to 'check on Rudolph' .
. . and for some thoughtful reflection.
Playing Santa, he reminded himself, is about maintaining a
sense of Christmas cheer in the face of holiday madness; about keeping the
magic alive for hundreds of increasingly skeptical youngsters. “I'm a respite from the sales racks, the
jostling shoppers and traumas and dramas of holiday parties. It makes me a better man.”
Dear Lord, don't let us miss You this Christmas
season. Help us to simplify our
activities and traditions so we can focus our celebration on Your birth. Thank You for the simple but life-changing
message of Your love for us. Amen
