299: The Christmas Hat

The Christmas Hat
A Christmas Story

Thank goodness I have always been a nice jovial chap. RIGHT!!! I was so jovial that when my second youngest daughter was about 3 looked me straight in the face and said: “You Ozzie Gouch” and walked away. But then came the Christmas Hat.

The Christmas Hat

The story goes like this. Right after Thanksgiving Day several years ago, I was shopping at the local big box store. When I came out I notice a small crowd gathered around my truck. As I got to my truck I was found out that a lady had backed into my truck, as she was getting out of her parking space across the aisle. The lady was really upset and after I surveyed the damage, I told her there was not a problem. It took several minutes to convince her that that nothing was wrong, and there was nothing wrong. All she had done was changed the character of the patina I had been collecting on my truck for several years. The only issue was she had stolen some of the patina, and it was on the rubber bumper guard of her vehicle, so I reclaimed the stolen patina.

After she finally calmed down and realized I had no intention of trying to carry her and her insurance company to the cleaners, or even making any type of claim for that matter, she reached into bag of stuff she had just purchased an produced the Christmas Hat. She said she did not know why she had bought the hat until right then. She told me with my long white hair and beard, I needed the hat to go along with my Christmas Spirit. I started wearing the hat and noticed people smiling at me and that made me feel good and I started smiling back and telling everyone MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Over the intervening years I have worn out several hats because I can hardly wait for the day after Thanksgiving to put on my Christmas hat, fill my pockets with candy canes and go out and enjoy the season with others. So this is my Christmas Card I am sharing with you.

God Bless and have a Merry CHRISTmas.

THElmo
AKA  Elmo Clause

This Second part was added Dec 10, 2012

The CHRISTmas Hat --- Cont’..  A true life tale..

Last season the CHRISTmas hat was walking in Walmart when a young lady came up from behind and  tugged on his sleeve.  As the Hat turned around the lady said “My little girl thinks you are Santa Clause and wants to tell you something.   The Hat replied in likely the most profound statement he ever made: “Well you can never be for sure who Santa might be. “  As the Hat got down on one knee and the little girl began her tale..   “ Santa, I made a mistake I wrote you too early and asked for only one of the five things I listed. But I have found what I really need, and is it too late to change my request?”  And through the bright and sparkling eyes, she continued describing a doll.  The Hat look up toward her mom, who you could tell was really down on her luck, and mom with a tear in her eye shook her head no.  Now what is the Hat supposed to say?

Then the Hat out of the corner of his eye noticed a man who had been watching signaling with his hand and saying no don’t tell her.  When the man saw he had the Hat’s attention he leaned over and whispered something in the mom’s ear and expression of joy and amazement filled the mother’s face and the man turned and walked away.  And the Hat then told the little girl he thought it might be possible to get the order changed.  A short time later the man sought the Hat out and explained he had lost his wife and daughter several years before this was the first time he had felt the CHRISTmas sprit since and he had bought the doll for the little girl and sneaked it to her mother so the little girl would be surprised on CHRISTmas morning.. 

Neat story and it is true, but there is more…  Last week when the CHRISTmas Hat was at Walmart, and a young lady walked up from behind and tugged on his coat sleeve.  As the Hat turned around the young lady said “Do you remember us?”  As The Hat struggled to recognize the face, she reminded him of the afore mentioned incident and he acknowledged her.  Seems they had been looking for The Hat to tell him thanks for being there to make there last CHRISTmas bright.  Then the Thank you continued, it seems that because the Hat had been there last year, beginning on the day after Thanksgiving this year the little girl had a new dad, mom had a new husband, and the man had both a new wife and a new daughter..

Now you know the rest of the story… And the moral?
Sometimes it is best to be available and let God do the work….