Remember the days when the only drama involved in taking your kid to see Santa was whether or not they’d freak out when they got to the front of the line?
Thanks to COVID, those days are over for now and kids will be separated by plexiglass (or meet virtually).
It’s necessary, but like so many things in 2020, a lot less fun.
But we persevere, and hopefully, show Santa and his elves some grace to keep the holidays magical for ourselves and those around us.
Once upon a time…
A story out of Fort Worth, Texas, sparked joy around the country when Santa did what he does best – made Christmas special for a child.
Just 6-years-old and still a believer, Matthew Foster is also blind and autistic, and he hates posing for pictures. Alas, he was really interested in Santa.
That made for quite a challenge.
But moms have special “mom skills” when faced with these types of situations and challenges – and Matthew’s mom, Misty Wolf, had a plan.
They would get to the Cabela’s store early and avoid any crowds that might make things difficult for her boy or stir up a tantrum in her 20-month-old sister Lilly. And it worked – they were able to walk right in the store and up to Santa himself.
Wolf told CNN that she whispered to the man in the big, red suit to give him some insight into Matthew’s condition. But this is Santa we’re talking about. His magical list of boys and girls would obviously include that information.
In a tear-jerker of a Facebook post, complete with heartwarming photos, Wolf explained:
“I whispered to Santa “he is blind and autistic and is very interested in Santa”. He said “say no more” and immediately got down on the floor to greet my little man.”
While Matthew does talk, he doesn’t interact with people unless he knows and feels very comfortable with them. But OF COURSE he knew Santa!
“Santa had his trust right away,” Wolf said. “I keep saying that he met the real Santa. That was the real Santa for Matthew.”
A very special Santa
Santa strolled right over to the boy and knelt down next to him. But the rest of his approach was slow.
He invited the boy to touch his coat, buttons, and hat, so he could get a good idea of who he was talking to. And he even got down on the floor to sit with him and chat.
“He knew exactly what to do,” she said. “He was just so good at getting through to Matthew and letting Matthew have that learning experience.”
But as the big moment came when Santa asked if Matthew wanted to take a photo with him, Wolf cringed. It’s something he hated and she didn’t want the magical moment to be over for her son.
Luckily, the spell was cast, and Matthew knew he could trust Santa. Wolf was taken aback when the 6-year-old agreed to a photo without drama.
“I was just waiting for the meltdown at that point and as soon as he said yes, my jaw just dropped,” she said. “His sister gave the Grinch face, but this time around Matthew was actually looking at the camera and head up and everything. I need Santa in my life for family pictures.”
Well, ya can’t win ’em all!
It’s all part of the job
We’ve often thought mall and store Santa’s had some of the hardest jobs, not because of the kids, but because of the parents who sometimes ruin a moment by trying to make it “perfect.” But it appears Wolf was willing to let it play out and give her child the space he needed at the moment.
In total, she guessed that her kids got a very special 10 minutes with the magic man – far more than anyone could expect when there’s a line behind them.
But mom’s grace and forward-thinking were a big part of how it all played out. And she was again surprised when she realized a line had formed behind them, but no one was glaring. They were pleased to see the wonderful moment.
When CNN affiliate KTVT spoke with Santa, he said every child’s visit is special to him.
“You relate to the child and what the child needs,” he said. “He has never seen the world the way we have seen the world.”
Wolf reported that Matthew couldn’t stop talking about his time with Santa.
“You only get to see Santa once a year, so it’s nice to be able to actually enjoy that moment and make it an experience like he had,” she said.
What a great sentiment – and one that we should all remember in this far more trying year.
Be sure to scroll down below to see news coverage of the story as well as Misty Wolf’s sweet Facebook post.
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