Monday, December 21, 2015

The Kindness of the Sneaker Santa

"You take away all the other luxuries in life, and if you can make someone smile and laugh, you have given the most special gift: happiness."
~ Brad Garrett

At a business meeting a few weeks ago, a friend and professional colleague who works at an athletic footwear distributor asked for everyone's shoe sizes and mailing addresses.  He said that he wanted to send everyone at the meeting a pair of sneakers for Christmas. 

In the days after the meeting, I rounded up the addresses and the shoe sizes.  And I asked my friend if instead of providing my shoe size, I could give him the size of a gentleman who could really use a pair of shoes.  But I explained that I was having trouble finding the gentleman to get his shoe size.  The Sneaker Santa told me not to worry -- that whenever I obtained the size of the gentleman, I could send it to him and he would make sure that we got the shoes.  In the meantime, I sent him the shoe sizes for the members of the group, including mine.  And then I forgot about it.

On one of those Christmas-week days when you are seriously wondering how to get everything done, I received my brand new pair of sneakers.  I was thrilled!  It was such a treat -- and despite my gathering the shoes sizes, it felt unexpected.  I called the Sneaker Santa to thank him and told him what a great idea it was.  He laughed, and I heard the joy in his laughter and knew there was a twinkle in his eye.  I suspect the Sneaker Santa enjoyed sending off the presents as much as we enjoyed receiving them.  And I know that whenever I look down at the shoes, I will smile as I remember how I came to have them.

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