Today I was Santa Claus at Hope House in Albany − 20 December, 2007

I have been dressing up as Santa since I was 17 years old. This is not new.

What makes this year the coolest is having Christopher with me. As we work together handing out small gifts to kids his own age, I know he sees what I see.

There are kids who have almost nothing that are capable of such gratitude and love for small things. These socks, and coloring books are evidence to these kids that the world is a warm place and there are people that care for them.

On the contrary most of our Christmas is buying expensive gifts for kids who invariably take back the gifts, or more efficiently say "just give me the cash instead." Our kids are blessed to have electonics, and cloths so they don't get joy from much.

Christopher and I both live with a foot in each world when we go do my Santa Gigs. I have never heard Christopher even notice the fact that every kid in the room gets gifts except him. On the contrary, Christopher is bubbling for the kids and rooting Santa on.

Christmas is a few skinny slices of magic hidden in a wave of bad music, gaudy lights, pushy shoppers and anarchist parking lots. I am getting wise as I get older. I get more of the magic, and I leave the shopping to Kimberly