Feeling like Christmas
25 December 2007 - 17 טבת 5768 by Huw
ONe of my clients was sad the other day in discussion because “Santa won’t come here.”
Once a year, and it’s tonight, I take an adventure; one I daren’t take otherwise or on other nights. Tonight I will go into the clients’ bedrooms - with another staff member watching, of course.
Every year we put presents in their rooms and, for the last three years, I’ve gotten to play Santa Claus. For me this is the most meaningful, most important duty I perform all year. The clients - drug addicts, alcoholics, both - some have only memories of the sort of holiday nightmares the rest of us only laugh at in SitComs. Some have no recent memories of holidays at all. And some have no recent memories at all.
And they wake up Christmas morning to a gift pack, donated by local shops and/or paid for by other contributions. The clients sometimes cry, always laugh. And enjoy… And for a moment on Tuesday morning, (they know it came from us, of course) the meaning of Christmas - a gift, a free gift, with no strings attached - will be present, real, alive.
I have my doubts. I have my fears. But this morning it’s ok.
Merry Christmas.
And the Silver Wolf knows …