Taking a note from a weekend column, I spent an hour at Northwest Arkansas Mall, about 4:30 to about 5:30, on Christmas Eve, to enjoy the crowds without being a part of them, (Phil’s father in the essay, having gifts all bought, enjoyed the spectacle), though if something caught my eye for My Beloved, I’d grab it.
Despite being a weekday and despite all the reports on Christmas retail health, it was not crowded though the mall would close at 6, and the displays did not inspire me to impulse, not even the last-minute sale tables. Little seemed picked over; on most Christmas Eves one sees a fair number of empty shelves. Either this season inventory was better planned or fewer needless items were bought by shoppers. (Needless? Virtually nothing sold at a mall is a necessity. That’s not a criticism. Frills are fun but frills are frills.)
I stopped in Gloria Jean’s, a franchise espresso shop. While looking at tea accessories, the mall’s Santa Claus came in. For coffee? No, but it was obviously a break for him, to chat with a couple of young clerks behind one of the counters.
This Santa had real whiskers and a kind face (Young readers, this was not the Real Santa!). He seemed like a good guy. Walking to another display I saw this man actually was slender: The red pants flapped loosely against skinny legs. This man was old but by his breathing and his gait showed excellent health.
Then a woman and her two little girls came in. She was there for a coffee. All their clothes were more Wal-Mart than Dillard’s and a little faded from a number of washings. The younger girl spotted Santa in a split second, and she ran to him. He instantly crouched a little and asked how she was. (Not whether she’d been good and what she wanted.) With a white-gloved forefinger he touched her tummy in a gentle grandfatherly way. She grinned and ran back to Momma.
The older girl held back and silently looked to her mom for permission. When she got the nod, she walked deliberately to the man, and he scooped her up in a hug. Exactly the right thing to do. This girl giggled, and the mitzvah was done. I teared up from the sincerity and spontaneity of it.
Christmas is a multi-religious (not merely multi-denominational) secular holiday for the Western world. It is for children, adults secondary, while they’re young enough to believe in Santa. He’s not Mr. Moneybags with toys: He threatens children if they’re naughty. Santa’s magic is to be absolutely constant as parents only can try to be. Unconditional love actually is quite a trick. -30-
