Do you think there could be a real Santa Claus?

I wanted to write this as a poem,

but darn! - I just can't seem to

get into a proper rhythm. So here,

in prose but with a poetic spirit,

is the story of the 'real' Santa Claus:

.......................................,

Little Marion's mother worked at the mall,

and Marion came to work with her during the

Christmas season. She would often visit with

the mall Santa when there was no one waiting

to see him. One day she told Santa that her

mother told her that there was no real Santa,

that he was just a man play-acting in a red

suit. Behind his false beard Santa grinned

so hard that his nose glowed and his eyes

twinkled! "Haaa Hah Hah," he laughed heartily,

"of course there's a real Santa - but he's not

a man in a red suit - and I'll bet you've met

him and didn't know it!"

"Oh no!" she replied, "How could I ever have met him?"

"We-l-l-l," said mall-Santa, still chuckling in a

convincing Santa-Claus manner, "Haven't you ever

given someone a gift?"

"Of course," she said.

"And did you wrap it up in fancy paper, and put a

pretty bow on it?"

"Yes."

"An when they opened it, did they look pleased and

surprised and say 'thank you' with a big smile?"

"Yes, yes!", she started to smile.

"An how did that make you feel?" mall-Santa asked.

"It made me feel really good!", her smile broadening.

"I'll bet it felt so good you almost burst into a

giggle!", he said.

"How did you know?", her eyes widening.

"Well, story-book Santa gives gifts to children all

over the world, leaving them happy and smiling on

Christmas morning. That's why he's portrayed as

such a jolly fellow. All that giving makes him

feel so good, he can't help but 'ho-ho-ho' all the

time!

"And when you felt that, Marion, that's when you

met the real Santa Claus. You see, Marion, the

*real* Santa Claus is the spirit of giving, and

that spirit visited you when you gave a gift."

Marion brightened like a Christmas tree and ran off

shouting, "I have to tell my momma I met the real

Santa Claus!"

Merry Christmas everyone!