Jenny and Santa – A Christmas Story from Precious Memories by Lynn Stannard
Jenny and Santa met Face to Face
Jenny and Santa met face to face at our front door when she was 4 years old!
Click the Play arrow and listen while you read!
Burl Ives – Rudolph The Red – Nosed Reindeer
(If you are reading this story to a child, please read it yourself first. It might be PG rated.)
A week before Christmas, when Jen was just about four, I (Lynn) carefully explained to her that Santa Claus is just a game people play. “It’s a secret,” I told her. “Mommy and Daddy are really Santa Claus, but don’t tell anyone. It’s a big secret.”
Her older sisters didn’t approve of what I had done. So I dropped the subject.
About a half-hour later, the doorbell rang. There stood the man in the red suit. Our neighbor, Mr. Edson, had borrowed a Santa outfit. He also had previously asked one of our older daughters for some little thing we had already bought for Jenny. When he came in the door, he told Jen to be a good girl and gave her the Care Bear barrettes.
She looked at him, and then she looked at me. She knew one of us was kidding. And she was sure I was the one. A few days later, I told her another secret: “That was Mr. Edson from across the street.” She answered a soft “Oh,” and didn’t mention it again.
A year later, Jen and I were coming home in the car a couple of weeks before Christmas. Jen said, “When I get home, I’m going to write a letter to Santa Claus, and tell him what I want for Christmas. And I’ll tell him what you want and what Daddy wants. And then I’m going to take it over to Mr. Edson.”
A few days later, after watching some Christmas specials on TV, she said, “Does Santa really use reindeer? Or does he use a car?” While I stumbled with an answer, she went on. “What I wonder is, I can see how Mr. Edson can get to all the houses on our street. But how does he get all over the world?” I didn’t answer.
On Christmas Eve, we were preparing to put luminaries out in front. I took Jenny by the hand and said, “Do you know what it’s time for now?” She said, “Yup. Time for Mr. Edson to come.”
A couple of days after Christmas, Jenny’s friend Sarah called her on the phone. After comparing gifts for a while, Jen said, “I know who Santa Claus really is. His name is Mr. E….”
“Jenny,” I interrupted her. “Jenny, I told you it’s a secret. So don’t tell.”
“Sarah, I can’t tell you his name, but he lives across the street from me,” Jen finished.
The following year she said she was going to ask Mr. Edson for a kitten for Christmas. So the next time I saw him outside, I mentioned it to him. His reply was, “Oh great. And if she doesn’t get a kitten for Christmas, she’s going to be mad at me.”
Precious Memories Book
Jenny and Santa is one of 53 short stories in my wife’s book, Precious Memories. If you are interested, it can be found on Amazon in print and Kindle formats at:
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Jenny and Santa – A Christmas Story from Precious Memories by Lynn Stannard
Thanks. I appreciate it. – Dick S
