How 60 homeless children touched me forever

So a few years ago my co-worker told me about an event her brother did every year for under privileged kids here in our area.  Here’s how it goes.  60 kids, ranging in age from 4-12, from area shelters are chosen to enjoy an afternoon/evening in the North Pole with Santa, Mrs. Clause and all his “elves”.  I was very touched by the story and even more touched this year when my co-worker asked if I would like to be an elf.  I was beyond excited for this adventure!  I had decided my elf name would be “Bella” (if you need explanation for this please read my twilight journey blog), and my job in the North Pole, when I wasn’t making toys for the big guy, was that I got to put the bells on the reindeer’s harnesses!  My elf persona was created! 

As I started to put my costume together and began my own personal holiday season I lost a little of the excitement for the event.  I was still excited, but the reality of how much energy and time was going into it was weighing on me.  It wasn’t until the morning of the event did I feel giddy about it again!  But there it was Saturday morning and I was up at 4:00 like a child on Christmas morning!  I got ready and felt silly in my red and white stripped tights, green swim skirt I got at goodwill, red short sleeved shirt over a white fitted fleece, finished with my low topped chucks!  I put my hair in pigtails (after all I was only 109 … most the elves I knew were well over 300 years old), and OVER did my make-up.  Boy did I feel like an ass.  But it was for a good cause … right?  So I walked downstairs when my 8 year-old sees me and his eyes shoot open and he exclaims “MOMMY, YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL!”  I realized that through the eyes of these children we would look pretty fun!  Success!  (sorry the picture’s so terrible)

We showed up to the airport hangar a.k.a. “The North Pole” where I found a little city set up and decorated to the 9’s!  I’d never seen anything like it!  They had a place for Reindeer (real pooping furry reindeer), an ornament shop(a craft stop), train depot (where the train went to the back behind a wall through a tunnel and came back with more presents for each child), a place for the band, a fix-it shop (where they had medical elves … shout out to Dr. Irving and Nurse Stitch), then there was face painting, Mrs. Claus’s sweet shop where the kids could pick out all the cookies and candies they wanted, and then a Magician’s show … then of course there was THE BOOK.  This is where each child got to see if their name was in the nice section or the naughty section (mine’s in the naughty … I peeked).  Lastly it was the big guy himself … Santa … you might have heard of him.  He’s kind of a big deal.

It was overwhelming to say the least.  Not to mention the few hundred elves that were milling around.  Some of them were kids from Lewis and Clark high school, I met a gal who was a pharmacist, business owners and many college students as well as college professors.  It was a mix of all ages, not unlike what an imaginary North Pole might look like. 

They fed us a fantastic lunch and we then went over the rules.  I was to be a camera elf so I got to be designated paparazzi for my designated children on the red carpet of the N. Pole!  (NOTE TO READER: I could not post any pictures of the children on here)  I was quite excited!  Before I knew it we were on the busses from the hangar to the airport … it was time to meet the kids!  3 busloads of elves descend on the airport … travelers were scared/amazed!  We started Christmas carols through the airport and before we knew it the busses carrying the children were finally here!

As I saw these little ones I saw many things … first I saw torn, threadbare coats.  Then I saw one boy about 9 who looked angry … not angry like he was hostile, but just untrusting and ready to pounce if necessary … clearly it had been necessary before.  Then I saw the angry boy’s little brother.  He looked nervous but nothing angry in his sweet eyes.  Their mom had done their hair so very special for this monumental occasion.  Dressed in their best clothes, but still completely untrusting.  These brothers were in my group but not in my small list of kids I was responsible to photograph.  It was then that I met two sisters … apparently these sisters had another sister who was supposed to attend however her dad came and got her on Friday to take her back to Iowa … he couldn’t wait 24 hours to allow his daughter to have the night of a lifetime.  Sickening that a parent would or could be so selfish.  So Addy (I’m making up names to protect these kids … not sure that it’s necessary, but nonetheless), and Izzy were immediately my favorites in my group!  Addy was 4 and that girl will be a track star!  She was dubbed the rest of the night “The Runner”.  Within 10 minutes of being at the airport she sprinted through security smiling from ear to ear … her elf (luckily a young college student that now will not be birthing children for quite some time after this experience), was not far behind her but couldn’t quite catch her before TSA.  FIY, TSA agents were smiling from ear to ear as well … not something you see every day.  They were even taking pictures with their cell phones (not unlike other travelers we saw in the airport).  Izzy was a sweet girl who loved her elf Gum Drop but was also enjoying my company as well … we really clicked.  Another child that caught my attention was Mark age 9.  This boy was untrusting and not sure about all of us crazies.  He acted out a little and I’ll admit, he was showing the early signs of elf abuse.  Luckily his elf was a young college boy as well so he had a bit of energy to exert.  This young man Mark was clearly just finding who he was and where he belonged in his eternally changing situations.  When I first started taking pictures of Mark he just gave me a patronizing smile that was more smug and irritable then anything … he was my project … I’d get a real smile out of him if I died as a baby elf at only 109 years-old … tragic. 

As we waited for the airplane, all the children all received a heavy duty sweatshirt and a buffet of yummy warm food.  For these kids they might not have eaten anything warm since they’d been at school the previous day.  After eating and sitting in their color coordinated groups the children were gifted a nice back pack full of pens, crayons, books, notebooks and all sorts of fun school supplies.  I think what surprised me most about this part of the event is when the Izzy squealed over a fuzzy pink pencil and thought it was the coolest thing she’d seen.  It was proceeded by “Bella, I really want you to have this, it’s so cool, I know you’d love it”.  This is when I saw that these children knew what it was like to be without and were willing to do so in order to bring someone else the joy they so badly wanted.  Ok, wiping away my own tear.  I convinced Izzy to keep her beloved pencil and to write me letters with it. 

Loading the airplane was tricky for me.  For those of you who know me personally you’ll know my fear of flying runs DEEP.  It’s not pretty.  But here I was Bella the Elf with all these little ones who’d NEVER been on an airplane, and since they did not hand out sedatives prior to the doors closing I was going to have to tough it out!  I of course sat next to Izzy and Gum Drop and off to the North Pole we went!  I guess the flight flew over Coeur d’Alene and then right back down to the Spokane Airport.  (I’d like to give another shout out to Alaska Airlines who donated their plane, fuel and staff for this event … 100’s of Alaska Airline’s Crew put their names in a lottery to be able to donate their time, only a few were selected … bless you!) 

We taxied up to the “North Pole” hangar where many more elves were waiting for us to get off the plane.  There was so much hussle and bussel and sheer excitement!  The kids all packed into the hangar and were immediately transformed!  What they saw clearly blew their minds because it was the looks on their faces.  This is where I wish I could post pictures of what I saw because words can’t come close to even drawing a parallel. 

Mark who’s tough guy shell was crumbling by the second, was finally feeling the excitement.  He found his little brother Matt and was being sure he got the full experience.  Izzy and Addy were taken aback as well.  We first took the kids to the face painting where they received a fun stocking FULL of goodies to add to their loot, then it was off to Mrs. Claus’s kitchen where they were given free rein of all the yummy treats people had brought in.  Cookies, fudge, lolly-pops, everything a kid could imagine.  This portion was possibly put together by Willy Wonka himself.  I was struck because I didn’t see one child take more than their fair share of candy and goodies, and not only that I found that so many of the children were sharing with their elves … again, children who have nothing showing us how to give.  Humbling.  Inspiring.  From there we went to make ornaments in the craft station.  This is where Izzy made an ornament for her mom and then promptly wanted to make one for Mrs. Claus because she had spent so much time on making her the goodies.  Mark was helping Matt with his ornament, being sure he didn’t miss out on anything that was available to him.  This was the first time I got a great picture of Mark … his guard was down, even if only for the moment. 

The night was drawing to an end.  It had seemed like it only took about 20 minutes once we got to the North Pole but we’d been there for HOURS.  I’m guessing Addy’s (our little runner) elf felt like she’d been there much longer as she was constantly on the run, but for me it was but a flash.  All of the children got to see Santa and received a gift they’d specifically asked for so now it was time for Mrs. Claus to read us our story.  This is when all of the children received their special North Pole blanket and pillow.  Each child snuggled up with their elf to listen to The Polar Express.  I never knew Mrs. Claus was such a great story teller!  Mark curled up with his brother, Izzy held Addy as she was falling asleep and were captivated by the story that they themselves were living out.  This time was so very tender.  I stopped and said a prayer for these children … that they’d be ok.  You could see that each of them were truly miracles of their own circumstance and knowing the odds some of them wouldn’t make it.  I just want them each to know how uniquely special they were, but knowing I’m only one elf I wouldn’t be able to impart that on all of them. 

So as they packed up their backpacks, gifts and donned their coats they came in with we took them to the “magic transport” (which consisted of a hallway with blinky strobey looking lights), that sent them back to Spokane.  Outside there were a dozen limo’s waiting to take these children back to the shelter that they came from. 

After a day that felt like a week both physically but mainly emotionally I was spent.  When I got home I could have slept for WEEKS.  I was exhausted.  It’s taken me nearly 2 weeks to get this blog post out as I’ve had a hard time wrapping my head around the whole experience.  These children were EXTRORDINARY!  They had NOTHING … yet their first instinct was to give.  How do I teach that to my own children who want for nothing?  That is my project this year, to teach my boys what it is to give, humbly, with love and no expectation of return.  Then when they’re older I can tell them about Mark and Matt, Izzy and Addy, and the eternal imprint they left on my heart.