by Donna Swagerty Shreve
This year as Christmas holidays approached, I was feeling down. The season is magical when one is a child but as one gets older, there is such a mixture of nostalgia and longing to visit those who are gone. I decided to be proactive and lift my own spirits. A friend of mine had told me of what she had done the previous Christmas and I decided it was a great idea and I would adapt it to my situation.
The idea was originally gotten from the book “The Thirteenth Gift”. The circumstances were different but I knew I could use the idea and make it work in my compound. The first step was to visit the Dollar Stores. They have various names but they all sell cheap items and have seasonal stock.
This was my first time in such a store and I realized with a shock that my mother had indeed raised a snob. After I got over the initial shock, I started shopping. I found tiny snow globes, cute decorations to put on a tree, little figures that sit with dangling legs, Christmas type pot holders, Christmas sparkling markers, Christmas theme stockings, nut crackers, pots with seeds to plant mint, Christmas candles, Christmas glitter words, spring bulbs, and a headband with reindeer antlers.
Each gift was wrapped in tissue paper, put into a plastic bag, tied with ribbon and attached with a double looped rubber band to hang on each gate doorknob. Attached to each package was a three-line saying typed out to give clues to the identity of the gift. The first day the tag read:
On this first day of Christmas, your neighbor says to you
It is not too late to decorate
Put up some cheer to send off this year!
Various tags followed and on the last day the tag read:
On this 12th day of Christmas, my neighbor gave to me
A reminder of what we keep in mind this season
If you have enjoyed this, pass it along next year
Choosing the gifts was fun and wrapping them and creating tags was the next step. Now the real challenge started, as I had to deliver them each day for twelve days and not get caught. I usually headed out between 6:00 and 6:30 in the morning. I was surprised how much activity there is in our gated 112 unit complex. (This last year I headed out at 3:00ish and had the complex to myself.) Several times I had to duck as the recipient was in her kitchen. Several residents walked their dogs in the early hours. I kept my gifts in a larger bag hidden in my jacket. I carefully dug out each gift and had it ready for a quick placement and escape. I got caught, by one resident, on the second day. I had not seen her in her kitchen as her light was not on. She knocked on my door the second afternoon with a box of candy. She confronted me with her discovery and I swore her to secrecy so the mystery could continue. As of a month later six residents figured it out. I still have two who are not aware I was their secret Santa. I never told anyone. They had to come to me before I would admit my deeds..
Several of my “victims” have promised to continue the idea next Christmas. I do hope they come through with their promise. I got so much more into the Christmas spirit and was able to enjoy the season instead of letting myself get dragged down. Several of the recipients said the gifts helped to raise their spirits also.
Now in this fourth year, I will continue my tradition. The challenge is to find new recipients who I enjoy surprising and will not suspect me as their Secret Santa. It is a small gesture but so far it has been effective to help me get into the Christmas spirit.
683 words
D. Shreve
12/18/18
Swagerty-Aldrich Family Web Site 