Everybody has a Story: A magical December birthday

It was December 1961 when I was anxiously awaiting my fifth birthday. December birthdays always seem to get in the way of holiday celebrations and more often than not get less attention and notice than birthdays in the spring and summer.

I was the eldest of what would eventually be four sisters. My mother was up feeding my next-to-youngest sister, who had been born a month before, in November. It was a typical cold, rainy Seattle morning.

Suddenly there was a loud rap on the front door. These were different times and my mother opened the door at 6:30 a.m., only to be greeted by our guest, dressed all in fur from his head to his toes.

I remember being roused from a deep sleep by my mother, who insisted that Santa was in our living room and requesting my presence. At that moment of my childhood, I was in the twilight of still believing in the jolly old elf, having heard rumblings that he was not real but a made-up tale.

I sleepily tumbled from my warm bed and made my way down the hallway where, sure enough, I was greeted by Santa who was bringing me a birthday present. Savvy enough to not be fooled by just anyone in Santa attire, I inquired about Rudolph and the other reindeer.

Santa readily answered all my questions and assured me that Rudolph was waiting patiently for his return, with the others, on the roof. With a wink of his eye, he gave me my gift, bid me happy birthday and merry Christmas and was out the door in a flash. My mother and I rushed to the window and tore back the sash only to discover he had disappeared completely and was nowhere to be seen.

My gift was a beautiful red velvet dress from my grandmother.

Years later I learned the truth about that December birthday, when I turned five. My grandmother was a junior high school counselor, and had employed the custodian to play Santa. He ran across all the neighbors’ lawns to where she was waiting in her car, down the street from our house, and they made their getaway.

Needless to say it was a December birthday I still cherish, 60 years later.

Everybody Has a Story welcomes nonfiction contributions, 1,000 words maximum, and relevant photographs. Send to: neighbors@columbian.com or P.O. Box 180, Vancouver WA, 98666. Call “Everybody Has an Editor” Scott Hewitt, 360-735-4525, with questions.