Christmas magic

Yesterday was my last pre-Christmas day at ACO...and wow, was it busy. For 8 solid hours 2 of us rang out purchases while the others restocked and assisted customers. There were some problems, one pretty obnoxious, but when the day was done it was something else altogether that stood out.

Just outside the store is a bank of candy machines. Since the machines take only quarters we often have children in asking for change. That's what Jill thought the little girl, who's head barely reached over the counter wanted. Then ahe noticed that she had change, quite a bit actually. Looking around the store quickly, she put all the change on the counter with one hand, and with the other she put down a pair of gloves. "Do I have enough?" she whispered.

Later in the day an 11ish girl walked up to the counter with two wallets and asked which was better? As I was explaining differences she suddenly pushed them both straight at me so hard they fell onto the floor behind the counter. "Hi Daddy" she said to the man walking up behind her. "Did you find out where the snowshoes are?" He asked her. "Yes, there at the front of the store," she answered (I've no idea how she knew that.) As her Dad walked away she whispered, "I'll take the blue one."

Then there was the little boy with his father. Both grinning. The little boy had on one of our beanies. As the father paid for the hat, the little boy filled me in on the details. "It's a beanie" he told me. "For my mom. I picked it out, and I'm going to wrap it, and put it under the tree, and mommie will open it, and wear it, and love it." How could she resist.

...and that's what Christmas is all about.

My personal moment in Christmas magic however arrived at 3 am that night. My little Amy walked through the door. According to the United Airlines website, her airplane was still sitting on the ground in Chicago as a snow storm blew in. What the website didn't say was that while waiting, a very nice ticket lady had called her up to the desk and switched her to one of the last flights out for the night. She'd had to run from one end of O'Hare to the other but she'd made it. And she was home!

...and so begin the 3 days of Christmas.