With each passing year, I love little kids more. Not that I didn’t love my kids, but they were brats at times. Now, I can walk away from all the brattiness. It’s fun to watch them when they are at their best. It also gives me great pleasure to watch revenge being dispensed upon my own progeny.
Last night, Grandma Peggy and I went to watch Grand Elves 3 and 5 perform. Grand Elf 3 is in the school band, while his little sister, Grand Elf 5, is in the first grade choir. They were great. The band reminded me of the scene from Music Man where Professor Harold Hill begins to conduct the kids with their new instruments. “Think kids, think.” Half of the band members were new to their instruments. The conductor/music teacher, proudly announced that they had been taking lessons for six weeks. Just as in Music Man, when the kids began playing, the parents began to swoon and had visions of their kid in Carnegie Hall.
I was pleased when the older kids re-enacted the tribulations of Mary and Joseph on Christmas Eve complete with a rejection at the Inn. This evening is one that will linger in my memory, and will be good for a few private conversations with their grandmother.
It might be my imagination, but this year I sense a spirit of caring that prevails across the country. Times are tough and people are out of work. I hear that a lot. It is what makes those who are working care for those who aren’t working. People not only care, they are giving from their hearts. I see Giving Trees at church, and at the Township Hall. I see people stuffing dollar bills into canisters at check out counters, I see people standing in front of super-markets with collection cans. Most are collecting for food. There are coat collection drives, toys for tots, and the list grows as the need increases. We are a giving nation, and conditions warrant taking care of those who are suffering, and I see people giving from their hearts.
Yes, Uncle does help, but only by placing a mortgage on the kids they help. Imagine if you were giving a gift to someone, but you made them sign a paper to pay it back with interest? Uncle takes a big cut to keep high paid government workers voting his way.
Couldn’t we do better by ourselves? Couldn’t private organizations do a better, more efficient job of taking care of those in need than Uncle? Yes we can, and we do.
Thank you for reading my story Santa is Missing, and for all the complimentary comments. I truly appreciate your kind words. If you missed a chapter or want to start from the beginning, just click here: Santa is Missing. All ten chapters are linked and indexed for your convenience.
For new readers, who have not had the opportunity to read the 2009 story titled The Gift, I am publishing a completely revised version this year. The first part of eight begins on December 16, and will run daily to completion near Christmas eve.
I liked The Gift because it challenged me to express my personal views on Christmas and God. If you wish to read a simple warm story about an angel who decides to give the Boss a gift for Christmas The Gift is for you. I hope you take my challenge and read it. I also hope it leaves you with a warm glow in your heart about Jesus Christ and Christmas.
Morty rushed Santa back to the North Pole. Polly said she would find her way back alone, and Ben returned with the elves.
Mrs. Claus and the elves had a back up sleigh packed and ready to go, but there was still one problem. Santa didn’t have a replacement light for Rudolph’s nose.
“I’ll lead you Santa,” said Morty, “with Sky-scooter I can fly anywhere.”
“Would you do that for me Morty?”
“My orders from the Boss were to make sure his Son’s birthday was not spoiled. If you don’t get the presents to all the good kids, they will be disappointed on Jesus’ birthday.”
By this time, Ben arrived.
“Can I come too? He asked.
“You can ride with us until we get to your house.”
“We will go to your house first,” said Santa. ‘Morty will tuck you into bed while I climb down the chimney. After I eat the milk and cookies, we will be on our way again.”
That night Morty rode on Sky Scooter at the front of the reindeer team. Morty and Sky-scooter did such a good job, Santa didn’t even know Rudolph was not there. Santa took off from each roof shouting his wish
“Merry Christmas, ho, ho, ho.”
Morty helped Santa complete the delivery of Christmas presents to good children all around the world to celebrate Jesus birthday.
As Morty led Santa from house to house, Ben slept. He was cozy and warm in his bed dreaming of how he helped to rescue Santa from the glacier. He remembered having tea with Mrs. Claus and assuring her that Morty would find Santa.
On Christmas morning, Ben awoke and ran into the room where the Christmas tree stood. There were presents piled everywhere. Morty was there too. He sat on a pile of packages with Ben’s name on them. He yawned, and stretched his arms out wide. Ben dove into the presents and started tearing them open.
Morty thought to himself, I’m really tired. The trip with Santa was a great work out. I wonder how he does it every year?
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including those yet to be invented or discovered, without permission in writing from the publisher and author.
IN THE LAST CHAPTER, THE SEARCH TEAM SPOTTED A MYSTERIOUS RED GLOW IN THE SNOW. THEY DISCOVERED SANTA ON THE BOTTOM OF A DEEP CREVASSE THAT WAS COVERED BY A SNOW BRIDGE.
Mrs. Claus breathed a big sigh when the news came. The elves cheered. Jasper left immediately with the rescue team. He followed the signal sent by Sky-scooter. The Red Team landed on the edge of the crevasse. The elves jumped into action with rope ladders and lifting equipment.
“Take care of Dasher’s leg first, then Comet’s head,” said Santa.
Four elves found Dasher, put a sling around his body, and gently lifted him up to the sleigh. Albert Elf placed a compress against Comet’s head, and Mercy bandaged Prancer’s bloody shoulder. It was Prancer’s blood that Polly smelled.
The Red Team raced back to the infirmary at the North Pole with Dasher, Prancer, and Comet then returned. The elves lifted Santa and the reindeer out of the crevasse while they were gone. Only one more thing had to be rescued; Santa’s favorite supersonic sleigh.
The sleigh was wedged between the walls in the deep split. Neither Santa nor Morty could budge it. Ben came to the rescue again.
“I’ll tie a rope to the runner and you tie the other end to Sky-scooter,” he said.
“Great idea,” said Morty.
Ben shimmied down a rope into the crevasse.
“We will use the power of the scooter to pull the sleigh out.”
“I can pull too,” said Polly, “let me try first.”
Morty looped a rope around Polly’s neck. Ben tied the other end to the runner.
“Pull hard Polly,” said Morty, “pull really hard.” Polly pulled with all her might, and the sled moved a tiny bit.
“That’s it Polly,” yelled Morty,“it’s moving.”
Ben pushed on the sleigh from another direction, and loosened it some more.
“Pull again, Polly,” said Morty.
Polly strained and the sleigh started to move up the wall.
“I can’t hold it,” she said.
“Ben, is the rope tied to the runner?
“Yes, it is.”
Morty pushed the thrust button for power.
“Pull, Polly, pull.”
She pulled as hard as she could. On the other side of the crevasse Sky-scooter made a long loud roar, and the sleigh inched out of the hole onto the glacier.
“Thank you,” said Santa. “Now, please take me to the North Pole, it is Christmas Eve, and I have work to do.”
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including those yet to be invented or discovered, without permission in writing from the publisher and author.
