Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus

Santa Snow Globe - by Jay K. Johnson

I walked into the same store last night, and saw the same vending machine set apart from the the Christmas decorations. 
I remembered the occasion like it just happened. I also remembered writing a blog about it.  I found the blog from 2008.  Here it is again for anyone who missed it.  The point of this story is: You find happiness and joy by looking for it, the same is true of fear and danger. We need to learn how to look only for the happy. Happy Holidays, is not just a greeting of the season,  it is the mission statement of life.  Here is the story: 

I saw him last night at Ralph's Grocery store. This Santa Claus wasn't one of those imposter's in a rented red suit, he 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 the toy into a bin. It rarely happens. The game 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 Bear's head. It's designed to give you false hope like that, the hook is usually not strong enough to hang onto and the toy 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