Lori and I were requested to reprise our roles as Santa and Mrs Claus this year at the rec-center before Christmas, and then something interesting came up.
A Fireman that I know asked us to help him out, and do our thing one more time before we packed the Santa suit for the year. He and the rest of their firehouse wanted to do something for the homeless population that they interact with regularly on calls. There is a group that works with homeless families who live in their cars, to transition them off the street - meanwhile they provide a secure parking lot for them to park at night and porta-potties.
They wanted no media attention, so everything was hush-hush, but Santa showed up on the back of a ladder truck, and I had the privilege of sitting in a camp chair in a parking lot Christmas eve calling out kids names and experiencing Christmas.
Such grace and thankfulness in a fenced parking lot under a security light. It was the high-point of Christmas for us.
We had followed this thread David started prior to that night, and talked at dinner with the guys in the Firehouse about our Doctor friends who have made life choices to care for others; there was quiet agreement around the table that night.
We'll post in more detail on our own site later this month and update this post with a link.
Riding on the top of that ladder truck (with my 6'3" fireman handler keeping a watchful eye and grip), I thought of this thread, and how the impacts we make (small or large) are by our personal actions.
Keep the fires in your heart (and belly) burning bright in 2013, it will take determination at times.
