One Christmas Eve when I was about 7 years old, we were visiting some friends of my Dad and Mom's. These friends had a couple kids the age of my Brother Randy and me. We played and visited through the evening, when about 9-9:30 pm Dad and Mom said it was time to go home. As we stepped out the front door we were HAPPILY astonished that a big box of presents were wrapped and sitting right in the doorway... and in the snow. We began screaming at our friends "Santa has been here, look!" They came running, all wide eyed and and full of 'happy', as we watched them carrying this box of treasures inside.

All the way home we questioned Mom and Dad about "Why had Santa just dropped them off and left, and if "we would get home to find presents at our door?" Mom and Dad ushered us in the front door, strange, we usually came in the back door, but I was too excited to think much about that. No presents on the front steps, so we ran to the back door and opened it to find nothing there as well. Just snow, untrodden snow. Mom and Dad assured us that we would not be missed by Santa, while Mom was doing her best to get us out of our coats and into bed. Just as we settled down we heard a 'thump' and a "Ho, Ho, Ho!" We were excitedly startled and sat still for a few minutes looking at each other when Mom said "What was that? I bet it was Santa." Dad came through the house and said "Did you hear that?" We jumped up out of bed and ran to the back door, for that was where we had heard the 'thump.' Sure enough, sitting at the door was a box full of presents...and a single set of footsteps on the snow covered porch. 


I don't remember what I received in the way of material gifts that Christmas, I just have this memory of our family, all well, all young, all happy. Some were creating magic that Christmas, while some were believing in it with all our hearts.
Good job, Dad and Mom-

*Merry Christmas, one and all-