When I was younger I had the chance to hang around with Santa during the Christmas Season. It was fun riding on the fire truck around Gap watching all of the other kids run out of their house to wave to Santa. Then a few hours later they would show up at the Gap VFW to visit with him and tell what they would like him to bring them for Christmas. I remember one little girl sitting on his lap as she looked up at him and said "Santa I Love You", the look on Santa's face was priceless!
Then after that after all the kids were gone, Santa would get back on the truck and head to the Christ Home for Children in Paradise. This was always a very trying time for Santa. Visiting with kids that no one seemed to want or care about. Once it was over Santa would head back to the North Pole with tears in his eyes.
Then the week of Christmas he would head toward Pittsburgh in his big truck all dressed in his Christmas best for one last run before the holidays. Driving down the road watching all the kids go crazy because they would see Santa driving his big truck honking the horn and waving to all that passed. Stopping for a coffee break along the way, kids got to tell him one more time what they wanted for Christmas. Once he got to Pittsburgh to drop off his load at the steel mill (Santa also was a truck driver), he would hunt down some of the guys he knew to hand out gifts.
The Santa that I knew would do this for many years. He was a pretty cool guy that had a kind heart for kids. Santa had many regrets in his life, I think this was his way of trying to make up for them!
So if you haven't guessed by now, Santa was my Step-Father. He was just Dad to me during the year, but at Christmas he was Santa. This year (just after Christmas) will mark 16 years that he has gone. Christmas is rather hard for me, Dad (Santa) died and his Mother (My Step-Nan) just days apart in 1995.
I know if he was still here and healthy he would still ride that fire truck and be Santa for the kids. My Dad was my Hero, and my Santa!!!
Miss you Dad.... Merry Christmas!
Love, "Your Boy"
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