The very thought

December 14, 2007 in Uncategorized

Santa–the very one!–visited a local bookshop on Sunday. The very thought of talking to the Big Guy was overwhelming to little Tess. She never looked at him directly, and neither daughter has ever complied with my request that they stand in the general proximity of Mr Claus (I gave up on the idyllic sitting -on -Santa’s -lap photos years ago). So we are left with the awe of a figure so immense that one must stand perpendicular to them at all times and submit one’s wish list, "A candy cane and a bunny backpack," to the intermediary (aka Daddy) who can then pass it along to Santa.

Ah, the blessed perpendicular. Who do I hold in such awe that I can only address them from an angle, I wonder?

As he leaves that bookstore and journeys back to the North Pole for the series of all-nighters that no doubt await him, Santa is left to wonder where on earth one finds a bunny backpack. He is also left to wonder why the dear little gaze-averting creature has never ever once in her whole entire life mentioned a bunny backpack until eleven days before Christmas.

But that’s why he gets paid the Big Bucks, to read minds and deliver.

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

10 comments to " The very thought "


Kate I

December 14, 2007 AT 6:01PM

This is such a lovely photograph…Tess with wide eyed wonder and Santa peeking in the background. This is definately a ‘keeper’ and a precious one at that.

Rick

December 14, 2007 AT 7:44PM

My daughters would have that very-same look on their faces at that age, right before they burst into tears. And, we had a family member who played Santa every year, in the home of my kids’ grandparents. They didn’t have the whole overwhelm of the mall to blame.

Thankfully, by the time they were six or so, they got used to Uncle Santa and left the screaming and gnashing of teeth to offspring from a different sprig of the same branch.

Wait a minute…Santa gets *paid*?? Holy moly, this changes everything. I have to check out that Tim Allen movie again to see how he was conscripted. I already have the requisite heft, the beard is more than halfway white…who needs retirement funds if you can jet all over the world, be beloved by the small and innocent as well as the crass and unrepentant, *and* GET PAID FOR IT!

Could I borrow your Blockbuster card, Patti?

Becky

December 14, 2007 AT 8:10PM

BJs! I found a bunny backpack (mind you it’s small, very small) that come with two books. But it’s worth a look in the book section.

Your daughter looks angelic here. What a FABULOUS picture.

Here it is on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Bunny-Backpack-Janet-Allison-Brown/dp/140274479X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197680908&sr=8-2

Becky

December 14, 2007 AT 8:11PM

I’ll send you mine if you want it. Maddy never plays with it. :)

Marilyn

December 15, 2007 AT 10:28AM

Priceless…the content AND the photo. :)

Caren

December 15, 2007 AT 12:17PM

What a sweet picture. And, oh my gosh, I’ve never heard of Spellbound before. We’re (well, I’m) thinking of seeing if we can make it up there soon, for Biltmore Christmas and the gingerbread houses at Grove Park Inn. You just added another reason. OK, Biltmore’s too expensive, but it’s nice to think about.

Mary-Sue

December 15, 2007 AT 4:03PM

My first thought was this is how I’d feel in the presence of God… Yet I’m in the presence all the time and don’t feel this kind of awe… Or do I???
The bunnybackpack should actually be quite easy — Do you have a china town? anywhere they sell a wide selection of Hello Kitty products, you’ll find a bunny backpack!
good luck!

Jillian

December 15, 2007 AT 7:18PM

What a beautiful photograph!

Ellouise

December 17, 2007 AT 9:09AM

“the dear little gaze-averting creature has never ever once in her whole entire life mentioned a bunny backpack until eleven days before Christmas.” Its one of the things that makes parenting SO challenging.
Wonderful picture!! Ellouise

Sally

December 17, 2007 AT 9:10AM

I got a similar “yikes!” request from my 4-year-old. We were discussing turtlenecks, and I said maybe we should ask Santa for one, and she said, “A brown one, please, and some chocolate Dora shoes.”

She has never asked for ANYTHING specific before!

She once had a pair of brown Dora the Explorer shoes, now outgrown. I searched, and found something similar that I’m hoping will pass for “chocolate Dora” shoes…. They are wrapped and in the second of two (so far) garbage bags full of gifts for under the tree.

I really want our two girls to meet someday.