Canada Free Press -- ARCHIVES

Because without America, there is no free world.

Return to Canada Free Press

Front Page Story

A True Christmas Story


by Judi McLeod
December 23, 2002

(This true Christmas story was written by Judi McLeod for the former Brampton Daily Times. The story, is about a mother who called the newspaper's editors on December 1, 1980, asking them how to tell her little boy that Santa Claus couldn't come this year and who had only $12 until the end of the month.

 

This story belongs to Brampton--a city where Christmas wishes came true.

It belongs to a supposedly hard-nosed businessman who spent his lunch hour looking for electronic games.

…To a divorced woman who could easily have been embittered by her own divorce, but who rushed all over the city trying to track down a store with one Millenium Falcon Star Wars toy left--and who, when she couldn't find it, talked to toy manufacturers to find the next closest spaceship available on the market.

The story belongs to commuters (the same ones who stare impersonally out the window) who brought presents home to Brampton on the GO train.

It belongs to an area where things like this aren't supposed to happen.

It belongs to a seven-year-old boy who only looked at the cheap things in the catalogue so he wouldn't worry his Mom--a boy who until yesterday only had used and second-hand toys, but didn't complain.

This story belongs to real people, who, although besieged every year this time by countless hard-luck stories in more powerful newspapers, still came across in spades for their own hometown newspaper.

It wasn't so much the quality and quantity of Christmas presents for young Jamie--although they were apparent too. It was the manner in which they were given.

There were clumsily-wrapped toys with the tell-tale signs left by another well-wishing seven year old who was wrapping a little bit of himself with a character from Star Wars.

…Presents that couldn't possibly have been wrapped by anybody else but a mother who understands that "sometimes simple thing please a little boy that age."

…A stocking lovingly stuffed by a mother with a memory of two little boys now teenagers…Santa Claus signatures in a variety of printing and handwriting.

She goes without

This story belongs to a mother who sometimes eats toast for dinner so that her little boy can have a small steak.

It belongs to a certain "Mrs. C." whose only contact with perfume was a whiff walking by a department store cosmetic counter--who, on Christmas Day, thanks to members of the executive and ladies of Bramalea Boys Minor Soccer, was reeking of Desert Flower and putting away groceries from a specialty food basket.

This story belongs to all those teenagers who surprised and even shocked their parents by giving their weekly allowance to a boy his mother describes as "seven-going-on-99."

And, yes, this story belongs to all those who trudged into the Red Cross, Peel branch with whatever they could spare--those who took those extra minutes when they still had their own Christmas commitments left to fulfill for families at home.

Best wishes too

…To people who said they had absolutely nothing to offer in a material way, but could still offer the sincerest wishes for a Merry Christmas.

…To people with enough heart to cry over a seven-year-old boy who might have had to be told that for him Santa Claus didn't exist.

This story wouldn't be complete if it hadn't been for a special lady named Heather Douglas, a supervisor of the Peel Red Cross Homemakers--that dedicated crew always there when needed.

It belongs to Heather Douglas because even though she deals with the sadder aspects of life on an everyday basis, she wasn't cynical enough to forget about a lady in Bramalea who only had $12 to last her until the end of the month.

This is a story of $12 of reality that turned into hundreds of dreams.

And, yes, this story has an ending: Today a little boy called Jamie ran out onto the street with a whoop of joy.

From a Bramalea house where Christmas almost didn't happen this year, Merry Christmas and God bless to the City of Brampton from a little boy who will be able to grow up believing in the spirit of love.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement