User Story

By Kathy Holler

Edmontonians are known for their “giving spirit” - we rally around people in need, individually or in groups, and I think my story has influenced me for the rest of my life.

When I was a little girl in Europe, Santa’s bag was always plumb full of wonderful toys, books and candy, and like all children I believed in the magic that was Santa Claus and Christmas.

When I was 9 we came to Edmonton not knowing the language or the traditions of our new home. We arrived with very little money but it was spring and optimism ran high. Surely this was the land of my parents’ dreams.

And then father became too ill to work. The doctor ordered him to stay home for several months while he recovered. Mother was supporting us by washing dishes at a local deli. We lived in 2 rooms with the luxury of sharing 1 shelf in a refrigerator which stood in the hallway, and it was rarely filled.

Christmas was approaching and mother gently told me that Santa would only be able to deliver one small gift that year, and even that would be something practical. I had matured enough to know that Santa’s gifts depended on the amount of money in my parents’ pockets, but, as a kid, it was still disheartening news.

On Christmas Eve we were invited to some friends’ house for a traditional Christmas Eve dinner. I admit to being envious of the dozens of presents I spied under their brightly decorated tree - while we couldn’t even afford a tree. Mom and dad put on their best faces but even at my age I could see the sadness hiding behind the smiles.

Then – as we arrived home there they were - a dozen brightly wrapped presents stacked in front of our door…Santa had found us!

It took several weeks before we found out that father’s doctor had known about our financial situation and had taken it upon himself to ensure that we had a Christmas. This wonderful man who made home visits, gave father prescription medicines, and never asked for compensation was truly a “Santa”, with all the magic and benevolence the name infers. We never saw him after father’s recovery and although many years have passed, each Christmas I take out this little memory and send a silent, heartfelt “thank you” his way.