what a tear jerking, and beautiful story; love it, and what an awesome ending; one needs a box of tissues nearby, but love the ending. Sandy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sherri Crum" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 2:48 PM Subject: [RecipesAndMore] Santa and Sarah
> Santa and Sarah > > Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at > the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child climbed up on his lap, > Holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. > "Your friend? Your sister?'" "Yes, Santa,' he replied. "My sister, > Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly. > > Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and > Saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me > To see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. > "She misses you," he added softly. > > Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, > Asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. > When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help > The child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but > Halted. > > "What is it?" Santa asked warmly. > > "Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..." the > Old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's > Elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. > "The girl in the photograph... My granddaughter well, you see ... > She has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the > Holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. > "Is there any way, Santa . Any possible way that you could come > See Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa." > > Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave > Information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see > What he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. > He knew what he had to do. > "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he > Thought with a sinking heart, "This is the least I can do." > > When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that > Evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where > Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to > Get to Children's Hospital. > > "Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face. > > Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother > Earlier that day. "C'mon.....I'll take you there." Rick said softly. > Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. > They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would > Wait out in the hall. > > Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and > Saw little Sarah on the bed. > > The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the > Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. > A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, > Gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. > > And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in > A chair near the bed with a weary, sad look on her face. They were > Talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of > The family, and their love and concern for Sarah. > > Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered > The room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!" "Santa!" shrieked little > Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV > Tubes intact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. > A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at > Him with wonder and excitement. > > Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches > From the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked > At her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had > To force himself to choke back tears. > > Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the > Gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room. > > As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the > Bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, > Whispering "Thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. > Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all > The toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good > Girl that year. > > As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for > Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in > Agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands. > Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in > Angels. "Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed. > > "Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you." he said. Laying > one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He > asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. > > He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when > he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing, softly, > "Silent Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright..." > > "The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and > crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed > at them all. > > When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held > Sarah's frail, small hands in his own. "Now, Sarah," he said > authoritatively, > "you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want > you > to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you > at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!" > > He knew it was risky proclaiming that to this little girl who had > terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest > gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE. > > "Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down and > kissed her on the forehead and left the room. > > Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed > between them and they wept unashamed. > > Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and > rushed to Santa's side to thank him. > > "My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. > "This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and > hugged him. > > One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee > for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks > went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. > > "Hi, Santa! Remember me?!" "Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as > he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being a > "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only" > child in the world at that moment. > > "You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped. > Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little > miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely > recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were > rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year > before. > He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines > smiling and waving and wiping their eyes. > > That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. > > He had witnessed --and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing > about -- this miracle of hope. This precious little child was healed. > Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and > humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father. 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!" > > -- > Access the Recipes And More list archives at: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ > > Visit the group home page at: > > http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -- Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore
