SANTA CLAUS AND A GIRL NAMED HOLLY

I LOVE YOU MY AMY BUTTERFLY. I MISS YOU VERY MUCH.

I KNOW JESUS HAS YOU VERY BUSY AND I KNOW YOU ARE HAPPY.

THIS IS ONE OF MY STORIES THAT I WOULD JUST MAKE UP AND AMUSE

MYSELF...SOMETIMES I WOULD TELL THE KIDS MY STORY AND SOMETIMES I

JUST PUT THEM AWAY IN MY "DRAWER OF DREAMS." EVERYONE KNOWS THAT

MOST WRITERS ARE NEVER REALLY DISCOVERED UNTIL THEY DIE AND SOMEONE

DIGGING THROUGH THE JUNK DEEMED, "NO VALUE" BEGINS TO READ SOME OF

THE PAGES...........................THIS IS A REAL STORY, I WROTE, AND IS IN MY

"DRAWER OF DREAMS."

SANTA CLAUS KEPT A SECRET DEEP WITHIN HIS HEART. IT WAS PACKED SO

DEEP THAT HIS HEART WOULD SURELY EXPLODE IF HE WAS TO DWELL ON

IT FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME.

IT WAS NOT EASY FOR HIM TO PUT ON THAT RED SUIT EVERY DAY.

HIS ABDOMINAL GIRTH HAD BECOME SO LARGE HE LOOKED LIKE A SUMO

WRESTLER AS HE TRIED IN VAIN TO PULL ON HIS BLACK BOOTS. BY THE TIME HE

HAD FINISHED HE DID NOT NEED TO BLUSH HIS CHEEKS. HIS FACE LOOKED

LIKE IT HAD BEEN DIPPED IN CHERRY JELLO BEFORE IT HAD JELLED.

SANTA AKA JOSEPH MARTIN LOVED BECOMING SANTA CLAUS EVERY YEAR.

HE ENJOYED ALL THE CHILDREN WHETHER THEY WERE SCREAMING OR

LAUGHING, CRYING OR SMILING, SELFISH OR SAD.

JOSEPH MARTIN WAS RETIRED FROM THE POLICE FORCE. HE LIVED ALONE IN

A CABIN THAT OVER LOOKED TABLE ROCK LAKE. HE LIVED ALONE BY CHOICE.

THIRTY YEARS ON THE FORCE MADE HIM JUMPY.

ON HIS DESK WAS A 5 X 7 WEATHERED PICTURE THAT HAD THE NAME

HOLLY WRITTEN IN PENCIL. MANY A FRIEND THAT HAD BEEN WELCOMED

INTO JOSEPH'S CABIN SAW THE PICTURE AND WHEN THEY STARTED TO

ASK, HE BEAT THEM TO THE QUESTION, AND SAID,

"IT IS PERSONAL. DON'T ASK ME AGAIN."

RUMORS SWIRLED FOR YEARS AMONG HIS FRIENDS, AS TO WHO HOLLY

WAS.....A LONG AGO LOVER...A RELATIVE...AN EX-WIFE...SOMEONE HE

SAVED ON THE FORCE. SHE WAS TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BE ON THE BAD

SIDE OF THE LAW AND THEY KNEW JOSEPH WOULD NOT KEEP THE

PICTURE OF A CROOK ON HIS DESK WHERE HE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK

AT HER DAY AFTER DAY FOR THE REST OF HIS RETIRED LIFE.

THIS YEAR SANTA CLAUS WAS STATIONED INSIDE A LITTLE RED BARN

THAT RESEMBLED A SMALL TOY SHOP. IT WAS VERY STUFFY.

THE BIG CLOCK READ 8:55 PM AND SANTA WOULD BE CLOSING HIS

TOY SHOP IN 5 MINUTES. SANTA DID NOT HAVE A CHOICE WITH ALL THE

COMPANY RULES...CLOCKING IN AND CLOCKING OUT AND THEY STRESSED THEY

WOULD NOT PAY HIM A MINUTE BEFORE OR A MINUTE AFTER HIS SHIFT. THE

COMPANY DID NOT TAKE THEIR ORDERS FROM THE NORTH POLE WHERE

ETHICS AND QUALITY "ALWAYS" MEAN SOMETHING.

HIS MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD HIM, "ONLY THE ONES THAT TRULY BELIEVE

IN SANTA CLAUS SEE THE MAGIC OF THE MIRACLE."

A MIRACLE...THAT IS WHAT HE SO WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR.

HE WAITED AND WAITED...LOOKED AND LOOKED...WATCHED ALL THE FACES

OF THE CHILDREN AND LOOKED AT THE PARENTS...WISHING...HOPING

YEAR AFTER YEAR......HE DID NOT SEE THE MAGIC OF THE MIRACLE.

HE TURNED AROUND, WHEN HE HEARD A SWEET VOICE COMING FROM

THE DOOR. "EXCUSE ME SANTA CLAUS," SHE GIGGLED. "I WAS WONDERING IF

YOU COULD HELP ME."

JOSEPH GRABBED HIS CHEST AND BEGGED THE PAIN TO LEAVE. "NOT NOW,"

HE TOLD HIMSELF. HE SO WANTED TO REACH OUT TO THIS BEAUTIFUL GIRL........

"SIR! ARE YOU OKAY?" OH MY GOODNESS. YOU ARE PERSPIRING SIR.

I READ ABOUT THIS IN MY MEDICAL BOOKS, CHAPTER SIX ON THE HEART. JOSEPH

FELT HE HAD SURELY DIED AND

WAS STARING AT AN ANGEL. SHE SCREAMED FOR HELP AND WAS HEARD

BY SOME FRIENDS OF JOSEPH.

AS THEY ENTERED THE TOY SHOP, BEACON, A GOOD FRIEND, SAID,

"RELAX JOSEPH. THE AMBULANCE IS ON ITS' WAY.

THE PRETTY LADY FELT UNEASY AS BEACON STARED AT HER.

FINALLY SHE SAID, "SIR, DO I KNOW YOU?" BEACON CLEARED HIS

THROAT AND IN A LOW VOICE SAID, "YOU LOOK SO FAMILIAR." HE KNEW

SHE LOOKED MORE THAN FAMILIAR....SHE WAS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF

THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE THAT JOSEPH KEPT ON HIS DESK THAT HAD

THE NAME HOLLY WRITTEN ON THE BACK .

THE AMBULANCE ARRIVED AND THEY WERE HAVING A TIME GETTING

JOSEPH ONTO THE GURNEY.

BEACON AND THIS GIRL WATCHED AS THE AMBULANCE SPED OFF WITH

JOSEPH. NOW BEACON COULD CONCENTRATE FULLY ON HOW SHE LOOKED.

"WERE YOU TALKING TO JOSEPH ABOUT SOMETHING?" HE ASKED THIS

HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY.

SHE SET DOWN ON A CHAIR AND TOOK OFF HER WHITE HAT ADORNED

WITH BEAUTIFUL GREEN HOLLY LEAVES AND VIBRANT RED BERRIES.

"WELL SIR," SHE BEGAN, "I AM LOOKING FOR A SANTA CLAUS

NAMED JOSEPH MARTIN." "JOSEPH MARTIN," BEACON STUTTERED,

"WHO IS JOSEPH MARTIN TO YOU AND WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU

HAVE WITH HIM?" "DO YOU KNOW HIM," HER VOICE HIT HIGH NOTES

AS IF IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HER.

"WAIT JUST A MINUTE! YOU JUST CALLED THAT SANTA CLAUS JOSEPH

AND YOU HAVE BEEN STARIN' AT ME MIGHT-A-LY FUNNY," HER VOICE

HUMMED. "IT IS SO VERY IMPORTANT TO ME TO FIND JOSEPH MARTIN."

SHE BEGAN TO CRY AND TOLD BEACON THE MOST AMAZING STORY.

BEACON SAID, "WELL WHAT ARE WE WAITIN' FOR. LET'S GET TO THE HOSPITAL

AND CHECK ON JOSEPH."

BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL JOSEPH WAS IN SURGERY.

IT TURNED OUT TO BE HIS GALLBLADDER AND NOT HIS HEART.

THE DR. CAME OUT AND REPORTED THAT THE SURGERY WENT WELL BUT

SANTA CLAUS WAS GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE HIS WAY OF EATING.

HOLLY WALKED SLOWLY TO HIS BEDSIDE. BOTH HAD WAITED A LIFE

TIME IT SEEMED FOR JUST THIS MOMENT.

"MOTHER DIED 5 YEARS AGO OF PNEUMONIA. SHE TOLD ME I DIDN'T HAVE

A FATHER. SHE SAID MY FATHER DIED IN THE WAR.

HOLLY SMILED AT HOW DEEP BLUE JOSEPH'S EYES WERE AND THEY

TWINKLED LIKE THE STARS IN THE SKY...SO FULL OF KINDNESS.

I ALWAYS LIKED TO PLAY IN HER CLOSET AND ONE EVENING, WHEN I

WAS 10 YEARS OLD AND SHE WENT OUT, I FOUND A BOX. IT HAD MY

BIRTH CERTIFICATE, PASSPORT AND SOME LETTERS THAT HAD BEEN

SENT TO HER BY YOU. I BEGGED MAWMA TO TELL ME THE TRUTH.

SHE TOLD ME SHE WOULD BUT THAT I MUST KEEP IT A SECRET OR MOTHER

WOULD MOVE ME AWAY FROM HER.

"IT TURNS OUT SANTA CLAUS, AKA JOSEPH MARTIN AKA FATHER I KNOW

THE TRUTH. I WAS YOUR ONLY CHILD AND MOTHER WAS WICKED TO YOU. SHE

ESCAPED WITH ME AND MAWMA TO ITALY AS SHE KNEW YOU WOULD FIGHT

FOR FULL CUSTODY OR AT LEAST JOINT. HOW SAD IT IS FATHER THAT

SHE WOULD KEEP ME FROM THE LOVE OF A FATHER TO HURT YOU. IT

HURT US BOTH. SO MANY YEARS WE CAN'T GET BACK AND ALL THOSE TIMES

WE WERE CONSTANTLY MOVING AND I WAS HAVING TO ATTEND ONE DIFFERENT

SCHOOL AFTER ANOTHER."

"OH BUT HOLLY, WE HAVE GOTTEN OUR CHRISTMAS MIRACLE. WE WILL

SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIFE CATCHING UP AND MAKING NEW MEMORIES."

IT WAS THE DAY AFTER JOSEPHS' FUNERAL AND BEACON TOOK HOLLY

TO JOSEPH'S CABIN. SHE CRIED AS SHE REMEMBERED HIM THROWING HIS

HEAD BACK AND HIS EKG STRAIGHT LINING JUST 15 MINUTES AFTER

TELLING HER THEY WOULD SPEND A LIFETIME CATCHING UP. THE DOCTOR

SAID A BLOOD CLOT HIT HIS LUNGS. HOLLY KNEW ALL TO WELL THAT LIFE

COULD BE SO VERY CRUEL.

BEACON AND HOLLY WERE MARRIED THAT FOLLOWING SPRING.

THEY ARE NOW EXPECTING A LITTLE JOSEPH AND THEY KNOW JOSEPH MARTIN

AKA SANTA CLAUS AKA FATHER AKA GRANDFATHER WAS WATCHING OVER THEM.

~Debbie Ragan

2009

THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.


LET US TAKE THE TIME TO PRAY FOR ALL THE HUSBANDS' AND FATHERS'.

MAY THEY TAKE THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE AS PRIESTS OF THE FAMILY AND

SET AN HOLY EXAMPLE FOR THEIR SONS AND SET THE EXAMPLE TO THEIR

DAUGHTERS AS THE TYPE OF RIGHTEOUS MAN THEY WILL MARRY...TO

KNOW THEY ARE PRINCESSES AND TO NOT SETTLE FOR ANYONE BUT A

MAN WHO LOVES THE LORD...AND WANTS TO SERVE HIM.

WE JUST PRAISE YOU LORD AS YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE PRAISED.

WE THANK YOU FOR MANY MIRACLES, THIS SEASON OF YOUR BIRTH,

WHICH WAS A MIRACLE. THANK YOU FATHER GOD FOR LOVING ME

AND PIECING THE SHATTERED PARTS OF MY HEART BACK TOGETHER.

DON'T KNIT THEM SO TIGHT THAT YOUR LOVE CANNOT SHINE OUT

BECAUSE I WANT TO REMEMBER TO LIVE MY LIFE EVERY DAY AT

YOUR FEET LORD. BLESS EACH PERSON LORD THAT FOLLOWS THIS BLOG

AND ALL THE PEOPLE YOU WILL SEND THIS WAY. LET THIS LITTLE

BLOG, ALWAYS BE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THEY CAN COME FOR

PRAYER. I FALL SHORT EVERY DAY LORD AND I CAN'T THANK YOU

ENOUGH FOR PICKING ME BACK UP. WILL YOU REMIND AMY HOW MUCH

WE LOVE HER. IT CAN'T EVEN COMPARE TO THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR HER

DEAR JESUS, BUT YOU INSTILLED IN US THE LOVE FOR HER AND OUR SON.

AMEN AND AMEN

ANGEL HUGS




THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR SPENDING A PART OF YOUR DAY WITH ME.


I LOVE AND APPRECIATE EACH ONE OF YOU.