put the coat and my ten-dollar bill on the counter and pushed them toward the
lady behind it.
She looked at the coat, the money, and me. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" she asked kindly.
"Yes," I replied shyly. "It's ... for Bobbie. He's in my class, and he doesn't have a
coat." The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a
Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons,
and write, "To Bobbie, From Santa
Claus" on it ... Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy.
Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one
of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and
hid in the bushes by his front walk.
Suddenly, Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."
I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell twice and
flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door
to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie. He looked down, looked around, picked up his present, took it inside
and closed the door.
Forty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker's
bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: Ridiculous!
Santa was alive and well ... AND WE WERE ON HIS TEAM!
Have You Considered
Leaving A Legacy?
Have you considered leaving a Legacy to your lodge, St. John's Lodge No 2? If you have, please make sure that St. John's Lodge No 2
is included in your Wills and Trusts so that your legacy can continue to help promote Freemasonry in the State of Delaware
long after you have left your brethren behind. Freemasonry in Delaware has just celebrated its 200th anniversary. With your
help, maybe it can celebrate its 300th one day.
Christmas magic is silent. You don't hear it--you feel it. You know it. You believe it.
‐ Kevin Alan Milne