It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Santas can be found all around, from malls to the street to schools and hospitals, trying to put a smile on people’s faces, sometimes hoping for a miracle.
And, although we all have pictures with Santa Claus or photos of him, a woman from Texas managed to capture one of the most powerful moments involving the nice big guy who brings us presents every year.
Mariana Whitley Tumlinson of Brownsville, Texas, works at Valley Regional Medical Center. When Santa Claus visited them to give away his presents, neither of them knew what would follow. Santa distributed his presents to the patients, and, along with them, the hope of getting well, of overcoming the obstacles and standing up on their feet soon.
After that, and before leaving, he noticed the hospital’s Chapel and wished to pray for the sick children. Santa asked Tumlinson if he could spend some time there praying, and she answered positively. Tumlinson didn’t follow the man inside the Chapel right away, but when she did, the sight of him kneeling in front of a portrait of Jesus in prayer touched her heart.
“I didn’t walk in with him right away but when I did I was so moved by this image I had to capture it. What a great reminder of the reason for the season,” she wrote on her Facebook post accompanying the picture.
And she was right. There is a reason for this season, a reason why it’s called Christmas- it’s His birth that symbolizes love and hope for humanity. That’s why at least this time of the year we ought to reflect on our lives and be thankful for what we have while praying for those who don’t have as much.
People who dress up as Santa Claus have a significant mission. It’s not only that they get to meet many people, take nice photos with them, give away presents and have fun. It’s more about sharing love; when Santa visits a hospital, be it a children’s hospital or otherwise, patients become genuinely happy, whether they believe in him or not.
Sterile hospital rooms can be depressing, but thanks to Saint Nick, they turn into colorful places full of happy songs and “ho-ho-ho”s! Especially children, who miss these carefree moments with their friends, need to know that someone out there is looking over them, making sure that they will get well soon.
With this picture, Tumlinson reminded us of the importance of caring, the significance of praying for others instead of always focusing on ourselves and our lives. Her post was received by Facebook users with admiration, and so far it has been shared more than 40K times.
“We all need to be humble and grateful” a Facebook user commented, while another one wrote “Prayers to the children he visited and prayers for him.”
Whatever God any person believes in, one thing is for sure, at some point we need to take time to appreciate what we have and wish for others well because nothing should be taken for granted. Happy Christmas!
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