Dear Friends,
At our favorite Mexican restaurant last week, Gail and I enjoyed tacos, burritos . . . and Santa. As we were eating our dinner, we noticed him sitting near the front of the dining room fanning himself with a laminated menu (I can imagine that red suit and those boots were a tad too warm for our mild Atlanta winter).
The proprietors were bringing a little holiday cheer to their customers that evening and had arranged a “free photos with Santa” night. Families with children, young couples, seniors, wait staff, and even the cook from the kitchen all found their way to the jolly elf for hugs, laughs and photos. One little boy kept rushing back to Santa for one more hug and to pat his white beard. I’ve never had so much fun eating Mexican food.
After we paid our bill and were getting up from our table, I looked one more time in Santa’s direction. To my surprise, he was looking back at me and motioned with a white-gloved index finger to walk over. Gail and I looked at one another with delight and said almost simultaneously, “Let’s get our photo taken with Santa!” I honestly don’t think I’ve done this at all in my adult life. But those twinkling eyes and rosy cheeks . . . well, they were just too wonderful for my child’s heart to resist.
We walked over to his spot in front of the Christmas tree, exchanged hugs and few pleasantries, and left with a 5” x 7” glossy of ourselves with Santa, along with the greeting “Feliz Navidad from La Parrilla” printed in the bottom corner.
Feliz Navidad to you, too. And, thank you, Santa, for that little bit of magic you still bring.
Best holiday wishes to you and your loved ones.
Warmly,
Terry
Rev. Terry Davis