One Particular Santa

I have a collection of Santas that actually started 49 years ago. That first Christmas 12 days after I was born, a neighbor in Toledo gave me a Santa with a bushy white beard and a red velvet suit. As long as I can remember, I was never allowed to touch him. Mom would just say he was mine and put him on a high shelf away from the reach of all of us kids. My mom was pretty smart.

About 10 years ago she asked if I would like to take him home and keep him at my house. At first I just said no, I was so worried about ruining him in some way. A couple of years later when my mom was getting ready to move, she made me take him home.

Initially it felt weird having him. As far as I can tell, I have owned this Santa longer than anything else. Essentially, he is my age! Mom did a very good job of protecting him and keeping him safe.

He and I are both showing our age. He has a few wrinkles, his hair color has changed (though his is darker and mine is much, much lighter), and he has troubles with his feet. The man just cannot keep his boots on and he often has trouble standing. Though I have the wrinkles, I don't usually have trouble standing.

I have a large number of Santas now. I don't know exactly when someone decided I was collecting them, but years back Mom started giving me one each year. A couple of other people have given me some pretty cool ones too. I like them all and I get a kick out of arranging them for days until they are situated just right.

Still it would NOT be Christmas for me without this one particular Santa.