Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus

I saw him last night at Ralph's Grocery store. It wasn't one of those posers in a rented red suit, it was the real thing. Other than a cute little 10 year old girl, I don't think anyone else realized he was there.

Just inside the doorway of this store is one of those vending machines sometimes called a"grapler". You know, the carny game where you put in a quarter and try to guide a hook over to a plush toy. If it holds on hard enough the hook will move over and will drop it into a bin. It rarely happens. It is just short of gambling.

As I walked in a little girl had just placed her bet by putting a quarter in the slot. I've never see anyone attempting to grab a toy at that machine before so I stopped to watch. Indeed she had maneuvered the hook just above a cute panda bear toy and it dropped on top of the dolls head. It's designed to give you false hope like that, the hook has nothing to hang onto and it usually slides right off again. This time it didn't. It held. I watched the toy swing with the momentum and hold on until it was dropped into the bin.

The little girl was ecstatic. I said, "I have never seen anyone win that game before... good for you." She said, "Thank you," and excitedly ran to her Mom. It was like she had won the New York lottery. I saw it in her eyes. Christmas came early. Santa made an unscheduled stop to pick up some carrots for the reindeer and worked a little magic just for her.

Oh, I didn't get a good look at Santa, only his reflection in her eyes, but I knew she saw him standing there. I couldn't get the grin off my face for the rest of the evening.

I don't know the little girl's name but to me, she is Virginia.
As you were,
Jay