Santa's Not a Doctor

Tonight as Santa at a library, I met a very sad little girl.  She came up to visit with me and I saw that she had a brand new bright yellow cast from her wrist all the way up her arm.  I carefully lifted her up to my knee and asked her what had happened.  Her eyes welled up with tears as she told me how she had fallen down the stairs and had broken her arm just before Christmas, and how much it hurt.

I told her how sorry I was that this had happened, and that Santa couldn't fix her arm.  But I told her I would bring her something special on Christmas morning that would make her happy.  I asked if there was anything else I could do for her, and she lowered her head for a moment the looked up into my eyes and said quickly, "I know!"

She carefully got down off my knee and walked away.  I continued visiting with the other children in line and having pictures taken.  After a while, I saw the little girl with the cast at the back of the line.  When it was finally her turn again, she marched up to me and handed me a sharpie marker.  She held up her cast and pointed to a specific spot and said, "Here, this will make it feel better."  So I was the first person to sign her cast - I signed "Santa" and "Ho, ho, ho."

Satisfied, she smiled and gave me the biggest one armed hug I have ever received.  She went over to show her mother, saying, "See, he signed it with a ho, ho, ho."  I was delighted to help replace a tear with a smile on a little girl's face.

Santa may not be able to mend broken bones, but it's great when I can help lift a little child's spirits.