“Out of the Mouths of Babes”
By Sue Andrews, Inland Empire Branch
As I look back over the thirty plus years I’ve been a step-mother to our daughter, there is one funny Christmas story which stands out for me. I became the “other” mother at age 39 when my “daughter” was six years old. I chose to be called anything but “step” due to the ugly connotations connected to that word, so most of the time she has referred to me just as Suzie.
I don’t remember what year it was, but it must have been shortly thereafter as she definitely believed in Santa Claus. One weekend I told her Santa was going to be at the gazebo in the Upland downtown square. If she wanted to see St. Nick, I would be happy to take her. Of course, she agreed and we got ready to go.
That Saturday the downtown area was packed with people. Many little children were there waiting with their parents to take their turn and ask Santa to bring them something. We parked, then walked to the end of the line and waited. When it was our turn, I told her I was sorry because I couldn’t walk up the stairs with her. The pain from my rheumatoid arthritis was too intense at the time. I told her she was a big girl and would have to maneuver the stairs by herself. I also promised I wouldn’t leave and I’d stand and watch from below.
Either because of the cars traversing the circle around the gazebo, or all the people and children talking, I could not hear what my little girl and Santa were saying. I could only see their mouths moving. Santa smiled, laughed, and gave my daughter a candy cane. She hopped off his lap and walked down the stairs smiling, looking joyful. Curious, I asked her a question as we walked to the car. “What did you ask Santa to bring you?”
I can’t remember the exacts gifts she requested, but I remember at that time my husband and I had bought her a Cabbage Patch doll and a big Alf doll. She loved and watched the Alf television show. She had both those dolls for a very long time before we gave them away.
After she finished explaining her wishes to me, she had a peculiar look on her face. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I hope Santa’s not mad at me,” she said.
“Why would Santa be mad at you, darling? You’ve been a good little girl.”
“I told him at the end that I had a wish for him.”
“A wish for him? What was that?”
“I told him I wished he’d get a new toothbrush with toothpaste because his breath smelled bad.”
I chuckled and assured her Santa would not be mad at her. Perhaps Santa really needed those items.
I drove all the way to the restaurant we had chosen for lunch wondering what had been on Santa’s breath.
“Out of the Mouths of Babes”
appeared in the December 2019 Fresh Ink,
newsletter of the Inland Empire Branch.