An inspirational e-mail I just received!!
>> Do you believe in angels?
>>
>> Three years ago, a little boy & his grandmother came to see Santa at the
>> Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child climbed up on his lap, holding a
>> picture of a little girl.
>>
>> 'Who is this?' asked Santa, smiling. 'Your friend? Your sister?'
>>
>> 'Yes, Santa,' he replied. 'My sister, Sarah, who is very sick,' he said
>> sadly.
>>
>> Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, & saw her
>> dabbing her eyes with a tissue. 'She wanted to come with me to see you,
>> oh, so very much, Santa!' the child exclaimed.
>>
>> 'She misses you,' he added softly.
>> Santa tried to be cheerful & encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking
>> him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished
>> their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, &
>> started to say something to Santa, but halted.
>> 'What is it?' Santa asked warmly.
>> 'Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..' the old
>> woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect
>> the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors.
>> 'The girl in the photograph.... my granddaughter well, you see ... she
>> has leukemia & isn't expected to make it even through the holidays,' she
>> said through tear-filled eyes. 'Is there any way, Santa . any possible
>> way that you could come see Sarah? 'That's all she's asked for, for
>> Christmas, is to see Santa.'
>> Santa blinked & swallowed hard & told the woman to leave information with
>> his elves as to where Sarah was, & he would see what he could do. Santa
>> thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to
>> do.
>> 'What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying,' he thought
>> with a sinking heart, 'this is the least I can do.'
>> When Santa finished visiting with all the boys & girls that evening, he
>> retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was
>> staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's
>> Hospital .
>> 'Why?' Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
>> Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier
>> that day.
>> 'C'mon.... I'll take you there,' Rick said softly.
>> Rick drove them to the hospital & came inside with Santa. They found out
>> which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.
>> Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door & saw
>> little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her
>> family; there was the Grandmother & the girl's brother he had met earlier
>> that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed,
>> gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead.
>> And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a
>> chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking
>> quietly, & Santa could sense the warmth & closeness of the family, &
>> their love & concern for Sarah.
>> Taking a deep breath, & forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the
>> room, bellowing a hearty, 'Ho, ho, ho!' 'Santa!' shrieked little Sarah
>> weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes in tact.
>> Santa rushed to her side & gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of
>> his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder & excitement.
>> Her skin was pale & her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the
>> effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair
>> of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, & he had to force himself to choke
>> back tears.
>> Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps &
>> quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he & Sarah began talking, the
>> family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's
>> shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering 'thank you' as they gazed
>> sincerely at him with shining eyes.
>> Santa & Sarah talked & talked, & she told him excitedly all the toys she
>> wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year.
>> As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for
>> Sarah, & asked for permission from the girl's mother.
>> She nodded in agreement & the entire family circled around Sarah's bed,
>> holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah & asked her if she
>> believed in angels.
>> 'Oh, yes, Santa... I do!' she exclaimed.
>> 'Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you, 'he said. Laying one
>> hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes & prayed. He asked that
>> God touch little Sarah, & heal her body from this disease.
>> He asked that angels minister to her, watch & keep her. And when he
>> finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly,
>> 'Silent Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright.'
>> The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, & crying
>> tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.
>> When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again & held
>> Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.
>> 'Now, Sarah, 'he said authoritatively, 'you have a job to do, & that is
>> to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your
>> friends this summer, & I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall
>> this time next year!'
>> He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had
>> terminal cancer, but he 'had' to. He had to give her the greatest gift he
>> could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.
>> 'Yes, Santa! 'Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down & kissed
>> her on the forehead & left the room.
>> Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed
>> between them & they wept unashamedly.
>> Sarah's mother & grandmother slipped out of the room quickly & rushed to
>> Santa's side to thank him.
>> 'My only child is the same age as Sarah,' he explained quietly. 'This is
>> the least I could do.'
>> They nodded with understanding & hugged him.
>> One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for
>> his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by
>> & then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.
>> 'Hi, Santa! Remember me?!'
>> 'Of course, I do,' Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at
>> her.After all, the secret to being a 'good' Santa is to always make each
>> child feel as if they are the 'only' child in the world at that moment.
>> 'You came to see me in the hospital last year!' Santa's jaw dropped.
>> Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, & he grabbed this little miracle &
>> held her to his chest. 'Sarah!' he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her,
>> for her hair was long & silky & her cheeks were rosy -- much different
>> from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He looked over &
>> saw Sarah's mother & grandmother in the sidelines smiling & waving &
>> wiping their eyes.
>> That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed and
>> been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of
>> hope. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive & well.
>> He silently looked up to Heaven & humbly whispered, 'Thank you, Father.
>> 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!
>>
>> Three years ago, a little boy & his grandmother came to see Santa at the
>> Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child climbed up on his lap, holding a
>> picture of a little girl.
>>
>> 'Who is this?' asked Santa, smiling. 'Your friend? Your sister?'
>>
>> 'Yes, Santa,' he replied. 'My sister, Sarah, who is very sick,' he said
>> sadly.
>>
>> Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, & saw her
>> dabbing her eyes with a tissue. 'She wanted to come with me to see you,
>> oh, so very much, Santa!' the child exclaimed.
>>
>> 'She misses you,' he added softly.
>> Santa tried to be cheerful & encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking
>> him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished
>> their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, &
>> started to say something to Santa, but halted.
>> 'What is it?' Santa asked warmly.
>> 'Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..' the old
>> woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect
>> the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors.
>> 'The girl in the photograph.... my granddaughter well, you see ... she
>> has leukemia & isn't expected to make it even through the holidays,' she
>> said through tear-filled eyes. 'Is there any way, Santa . any possible
>> way that you could come see Sarah? 'That's all she's asked for, for
>> Christmas, is to see Santa.'
>> Santa blinked & swallowed hard & told the woman to leave information with
>> his elves as to where Sarah was, & he would see what he could do. Santa
>> thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to
>> do.
>> 'What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying,' he thought
>> with a sinking heart, 'this is the least I can do.'
>> When Santa finished visiting with all the boys & girls that evening, he
>> retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was
>> staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's
>> Hospital .
>> 'Why?' Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
>> Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier
>> that day.
>> 'C'mon.... I'll take you there,' Rick said softly.
>> Rick drove them to the hospital & came inside with Santa. They found out
>> which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.
>> Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door & saw
>> little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her
>> family; there was the Grandmother & the girl's brother he had met earlier
>> that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed,
>> gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead.
>> And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a
>> chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking
>> quietly, & Santa could sense the warmth & closeness of the family, &
>> their love & concern for Sarah.
>> Taking a deep breath, & forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the
>> room, bellowing a hearty, 'Ho, ho, ho!' 'Santa!' shrieked little Sarah
>> weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes in tact.
>> Santa rushed to her side & gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of
>> his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder & excitement.
>> Her skin was pale & her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the
>> effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair
>> of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, & he had to force himself to choke
>> back tears.
>> Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps &
>> quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he & Sarah began talking, the
>> family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's
>> shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering 'thank you' as they gazed
>> sincerely at him with shining eyes.
>> Santa & Sarah talked & talked, & she told him excitedly all the toys she
>> wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year.
>> As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for
>> Sarah, & asked for permission from the girl's mother.
>> She nodded in agreement & the entire family circled around Sarah's bed,
>> holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah & asked her if she
>> believed in angels.
>> 'Oh, yes, Santa... I do!' she exclaimed.
>> 'Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you, 'he said. Laying one
>> hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes & prayed. He asked that
>> God touch little Sarah, & heal her body from this disease.
>> He asked that angels minister to her, watch & keep her. And when he
>> finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly,
>> 'Silent Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright.'
>> The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, & crying
>> tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.
>> When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again & held
>> Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.
>> 'Now, Sarah, 'he said authoritatively, 'you have a job to do, & that is
>> to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your
>> friends this summer, & I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall
>> this time next year!'
>> He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had
>> terminal cancer, but he 'had' to. He had to give her the greatest gift he
>> could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.
>> 'Yes, Santa! 'Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down & kissed
>> her on the forehead & left the room.
>> Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed
>> between them & they wept unashamedly.
>> Sarah's mother & grandmother slipped out of the room quickly & rushed to
>> Santa's side to thank him.
>> 'My only child is the same age as Sarah,' he explained quietly. 'This is
>> the least I could do.'
>> They nodded with understanding & hugged him.
>> One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for
>> his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by
>> & then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.
>> 'Hi, Santa! Remember me?!'
>> 'Of course, I do,' Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at
>> her.After all, the secret to being a 'good' Santa is to always make each
>> child feel as if they are the 'only' child in the world at that moment.
>> 'You came to see me in the hospital last year!' Santa's jaw dropped.
>> Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, & he grabbed this little miracle &
>> held her to his chest. 'Sarah!' he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her,
>> for her hair was long & silky & her cheeks were rosy -- much different
>> from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He looked over &
>> saw Sarah's mother & grandmother in the sidelines smiling & waving &
>> wiping their eyes.
>> That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed and
>> been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of
>> hope. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive & well.
>> He silently looked up to Heaven & humbly whispered, 'Thank you, Father.
>> 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!
