In the naval tradition, the crews of warships celebrate a night that is the 1/2 way point of their deployment abroad. In the modern era this is a bit dicey, as deployments seem to go on endlessly for some ships. In my day it was a fairly precise date. Give or take a terrorist explosion in a disco.
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Today feels like half-way night for the Santa season. It’s been one of great emotion and joy. I will talk about that in Thursday’s post, for there are some special people that I want to talk about in detail, and I just don’t have the time tonight.
My reason for posting today is to remind myself, and you, that while the season is half over we could easily embrace it in our lives throughout the year. I don’t quit being Santa on December 26th. I do drop the clothes, too confusing. But the little ones recognize me throughout the year and I hand out a lot of my “you met Santa” cards in June and July. I also try to remember who Nicholas was in history, and how I am honored to portray him in this day and age.
Unlike half-way night on subs, I will not be wearing my wife’s undergarments as a hat, I will not enter a pie eating contest (danged thing was 1/2 frozen – something to do with half-way night I suppose,) I will not don an EAB (Emergency Apparatus, Breathing) and run from air outlet to air outlet, nor will I get sentimental about my lonely backside. I was never there for the full cruise so that part was a bit of a disconnect for me when I encountered the festivities.
Instead I will pray. I will pray for the children and adults I have seen already, and pray for those yet to come. I will savor the joy that the families and children bring to me with their smiles and laughter. I will honor my God and do right by others as Nicholas would.
Most of all, I will endeavor to be the best Santa that I can be in the remaining ten days. This I can do. Illness, slick roads, and any other commotion aside, I will be there to provide merriment if it’s within my power.
See you soon. Remember: that elf on the shelf works for NSA so put a Faraday cage around his little butt and cut him off.
