Sunday, December 14, 2008

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus




I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus....no kidding....I really did. It didn't happen when I was a child peering over the banister late at night, it happened earlier today.

You see, my Mom, Esther Watkins, is a resident at Country Terrace, a lovely assisted living facility here in Wellsboro. We moved her here from Wilkes-Barre about a year and a half ago when she could no longer take care of her six room house. It's been a good move for her and although she turned 90 last January, she has not lost her youthful spirit or her sense of humor.

Actually, my Mom is a real crack up. She still enjoys having all of her marbles and plays with them wisely. She does cross word puzzles regularly, reads a book or two a week, can participate actively in Jeopardy, she's the champ at Wii bowling, and can hold her own in a battle of wits and humor with the best of em. There have only been a few times when she needed to use her call bell to call the staff. One of those times was because she needed help opening a bottle of wine when she had a guest for a night cap.

The event where the aforementioned kissing took place was the annual Christmas Party hosted by the staff of Country Terrace for all of the residents and their families. It was a fun party for all and just as we were preparing to leave, Santa, who had made his rounds earlier saying hello to everyone, sat down to listen to what the children wanted for Christmas. Once the children were heard, some of the residents sat on Santa's lap too.

After several women posed for a picture on Santa's lap, my Mom took her turn. Once she got positioned comfortably and safely, which is important for an almost 91 year old, my Mom took Santa by surprise by giving him a kiss. Since the photographer was not quite ready, she did it again...longer this time. This unexpected act, (I imagine especially for Santa), brought the house down. It was a great example of how the unexpected can rapidly spread pure delight to anyone in the vicinity.

So now whenever I hear the song, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, I will remember being a witness to the giving of a very special gift....only this was a gift given to Santa!


2 comments:

Kathleen Richardson said...

What a lovely story, Kate.

Reminded me of my great-aunt who lived to 108. In a Episcopal Church home in her early 100s she too was attending an onsite Christmas party. Family members surrounded her at the table and watched her reign as the eldest member of the home. When the good looking, 40-something, dark-haired director of the facility greeted her, she looked him in the eye and said, "Last year you gave me a holiday kiss." Then she stared at him in silence. She got a kiss that year, too!

Kate Sholonski (moderator) said...

Great story! ....Okay, ...whatdaya say Kathleen that we follow in their footsteps now and practice going after what we want?