More Christmas!!
Pastels

The Real Santa

My dad was Santa for me and for my children.  We never saw him, just woke up to the sound of sleigh bells and a loud and deep " Merry Christmas to All and To All a Good Night"
When I was about three after this he ran to the window and said, "Look there he goes, see him?!" ..and pointed to the sky.  I was sure I saw him. My mom had kept me in my room insisting that I put on robe and slippers when the bells had rung and the Merry Christmas had happened in our living room.  It varied slightly for my children.  He would ring the bells outside and say Merry Christmas... And I would go to the window and point to them.  I think they all saw him fly away too. Then several minutes later dad would be at the door with his bag of toys and get to hear how he had just missed Santa.  He did this in slightly varying ways every year.
I did this after he was gone because he was the real Santa in our lives. I never saw the bells till I found them hidden away after he died. I think Richard has them now, he did it for Henry after dad was gone.  I miss him every day.

The Little Match Girl
http://www.online-literature.com/hans_christian_andersen/981/