“The Christmas letters keep on coming. We are being slammed.” Sophia, Ms. Claus’s assistant, paced and complained non-stop in front of our lunch table.

Ms. Claus and I smiled and tried to calm the elf. “Sophia, you know that happens around this time every year,” Anya explained.

“Remember, we only have about 23 days before Christmas arrives on the 25^th. In some places on earth, it comes sooner. We always make it through,” I chuckled.

“I know… but… that’s not all.” Sophia’s face became fearful, and she plopped in a chair. “The world is unhappy and it’s affecting the children.”

Anya stared at her assistant. “Sophia, I’ve never heard you talk like that. What’s going on?”

“It’s not just me. Lots of the elves feel this way!” she exclaimed.

“Really. No one has shared those feelings with me or Ms. Claus.” I then saw several of the elves leave their tables and come over to join us.

“You two have so much responsibility that we don’t want to bother you,” one of the elves remarked and took a seat.

“Lots of us have been watching the news to see the magic that usually shows up this time every year. But it’s not happening.” Lyra sighed and asked. “What can we do?”

I looked at the elves and shook my head. “Yes, the world can be nasty, but remember all of you add a little elf magic in everything you make. This spreads when children open and play with their toys. I’d say you are doing your job, and I’m pleased.”

“Sorry Santa and Ms. Claus,” Quentin said, “Elf magic may last, but it’s not enough.”

The elves grumbled among themselves till one stood up. “Quentin’s right. The world is unhappy. No one cares about Christmas Magic. Santa, you know how that will affect children.”

The mumbling and grumbling grew louder till I put up my hand. “Yes, I do, but there’s a lot of good in this world. All of you should know that and be looking for it.”

Anya put her hand over mine and nodded. “Santa is right, but I think you are watching too much news. Remember, most of the time reporters describe big events that happen. Usually, those are sad or terrible. The small things go unnoticed, especially little acts of kindness and gift-giving.”

The elves stared at one another. Their whispery voices could be heard throughout the dining hall. Finally, one elf from the back of the room called out, “Ms. Claus I want to believe that, but …”

“You need examples, don’t you?”

I watched as my elves nodded. Then I felt Anya stand up.

“Because kindness comes easily to you, it seems normal to open a door for someone else.”

“But that is normal,” the elves answered.

“That’s my point. However, in the human world this isn’t always the way things are. Whenever a hand reaches out to help another, it often creates ripples like when a stone is dropped in the water. That one motion or ripple keeps on going.”

I loved when my wife got on a roll. The elves did too.

“So…  when one person helps another, who then helps another, and so on, kindness spreads. That’s Christmas Magic.”

“You mean,” Hannah suggested, “that a parent who is tired and cranky from working all day comes home and plays with her kids or reads them a story is practicing kindness?”

“Yes.”

Bernard, my head elf, shook his head. “Are you saying that what we call Christmas Magic is kindness in action?”

“YES!” Anya clapped her hands and giggled. “You are understanding that random acts of kindness can happen at any time, any place, and that is magical.”

“Exactly!” I stood up next to my wife and smiled. “What about gift-giving in children?”

Blanch laughed. “Don’t you mean when people give children gifts, they say thank you?”

“Not exactly,” Hannah, another kitchen elf, answered. “Remember when Santa told us how he urges kids to give gifts of kindness? It’s like when they help their parents and teachers or invite different children to play games with their friends. That’s gift-giving.”

“Hannah, you are so right,” I said as several elves nodded. “I know that the world can be harsh. But if you really pay attention, you’ll see and hear about kind actions in lots of places. Every time a child or an adult chooses peace, harmony expands. Every time a child or adult ignores differences in others, love grows.”

“And that, dear elves, is how all of us make Christmas Magic happen,” said Anya. She slipped her hand into mine as the elves sang “Deck the Halls.” The dining hall echoed with song while all of us hoped that Christmas Magic would continue to reverberate throughout the world.

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. My next story will post on Saturday January 6, 2024. If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

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Illustration from Hunter