When we decided to do this blog, the first memory that came to mind was when my brother and I got our 10-speed bicycles from Santa. I was 10 years old, and he was 8 years old (I have another brother, but that was still a few years down the road…).
It was tradition for us leave Christmas cookies/Eggnog for Santa and carrots for the reindeer in the kitchen, and Santa would in turn leave our presents unwrapped in our living room in front of the TV. We had a good system going! But not this year….
When my brother and I came down the stairs with excitement to turn into the living room to see what wonderful presents Santa had left, we saw NOTHING. Nada, zip, zilch. We were stunned. Actually, I was deflated. My dad, who always called Santa, “That Old Bird”, just played it up talking about how “That Old Bird must have lost his mind for good this time & forgotten what he was doing last night.”
I’m not sure if my brother had already moved past the fact that Santa left nothing, or if he was just ready to tear into the wrapped presents, but I couldn’t press forward. I just knew there was no way Santa FORGOT about me. So, off to the kitchen I went to see if he took MY cookies that I left him, while leaving me with nothing.
And there they were! Two red 10-speed bicycles parked in the kitchen. I started screaming and jumping up and down. “They’re in here! They’re in here!” And, it was an unusually warm Christmas that year too, so we got to ride our bicycles that day. I’ll never forget the Christmas that Santa changed the rules on us. Merry Christmas to all the Santa’s and Elf’s out there, from my family to yours!
Written by: Tamara Wilhelm MA LMHC
*Tamara enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, & couples counseling at Imagine Hope. We also specialize in family counseling, child & adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Noblesville, Zionsville, Westfield & Fishers.
