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By Keith Reinke, Rotary Club of Beaudesert, D9640,
I have just finished five very full weeks as Santa.
The days have been full of people of all ages, proving that the
spirit of Christmas is very much alive.
Each day has provided a full mix of emotion pure joy, sadness,
excitement, disappointment, people looking for help, for
reassurance, people reliving memories of happier past times, people
hoping that a new year will bring a better change, of fear, love,
hope, every emotion, and many times a mixture of a number of these.
Each day, as I sit in front of my computer and reflect on the past
day’s events, I realise that the magic of wearing a Santa suit has
allowed me to be become part of so many peoples’ lives, and that a
photo with them will be a record of a fleeting moment in their lives
that will remain with them for ever. Some memories spring to mind.
The photo of a very upset girl that mum said this will be pride of
place at her 21st birthday.
The new born baby, the excited toddler, the family group, the
friends, the five generations with the proud grand daughter who is
obviously very pregnant. The couple who have been married 67 years
and have had a photo each year with Santa since courting and who
have made me part of their history in recent years.
The pride I felt this week when proud parents bought their four
children including the new baby for her first Santa photo, and then
a family photo with the dad having taken time off work, and the mum
showing me a small album with the photos of me with their children
taken over previous years.
The number of photos of ‘baby bumps’ and the excitement of several
of the babies since born, now double Christmas photos.
I have a gift that allows me to recall the visions of excited faces
and also some extremely fearful ones!
The look of pride in a parent or grand parents when a child smiles
for the camera and the disappointment when a child that has been
talking excitedly about a visit to Santa, suddenly becomes a
screaming, scary experience!
To try and offset the disappointment of a frightened child by
inviting a return visit next year, to try and break down the fear,
and to provide reassurance to the parents that their child in not
alone in reacting fearfully.
The personal pride achieved when an unsure child is changed to one
who is happy and smiling.
I can not put into words the feeling when a child puts their arms
around you and declares, ‘I love you Santa’.
When walking to or from the big red chair, several sets of arms wrap
themselves around you with the excited wide eyed owners assuring you
that they have been good and that that they love you.
Think of the feeling you experience as a parent and or a grand
parent and multiply that a thousand times!
The look of pride when you tell people how good the children
look and how well behaved they have been!
I have started a book of some of my Santa stories to be called ‘The
Magic of a Santa Suit’. I hope that I can pass on some of the joy,
and that this may rekindle for readers some happy thoughts of
Christmas past.
As I reflect on the joy and hope the Santa suit helps me spread, I
realise that as a Rotarian of over 20 years I am also part of
another group of people who bring Christmas message of joy and hope
for a better life, and in some cases of life itself.
The Rotary ‘magic wand’ is waving over the world 24 hours a day, 52
weeks a year from local community projects, to projects in other
countries, to global initiatives such the Polio Plus programme
I am sure that the ‘Rotary Wheel’ brings to many people around the
world a message of hope, and acts as a beacon that signals strongly
that someone cares and is making a difference!
I believe that providing the Santa experience could assist
interested Rotary clubs in raising funds for Rotary projects through
Santa photo stalls set-up in large shopping centres.
Forty-five weeks until the Santa suit reappears!
Keith
Reinke, who sports a magnificent flowing white beard, sees one
important aspect of personal service to local community through his
role each year as Santa. Keith is also actively engaged in
organising a major annual event for his Rotary Club that focuses on
raising awareness in the community about care for the environment.
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Reflections
of a Santa