Coping with Corona: Santa, please bring a cure soon

PLAINS TWP. — Several years ago, I got to interview Santa Claus at his home.

Not his home at the North Pole — this was his other home. Apparently, Santa has been living in South Wilkes-Barre for some time now. On Grebe Street, of all places. I’m told he keeps several other residences, as well — he may live next door to you, too.

I knocked on the door. Santa answered. We shook hands and he invited me to have a seat in his living room. Mrs. Claus was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

As you can tell by the picture attached to this column, this kid really loves Santa — he has his entire life. So it was with great anticipation that I sat and interviewed the jolly old elf in one of his homes.

To me, Santa Claus is and always will be very real.

And Santa never disappointed. Of course, I was always a good little boy, never being a bother to anybody, especially my parents.

And I was always sure to leave Santa some of my mom’s delicious, exquisitely decorated Christmas cookies and a glass of milk. Although I never saw Santa in my house, I know he was there — the cookies and milk were gone and just about everything I asked him for was left under the tree.

So there!

So many years later, I asked Santa he enjoys the most about being Santa. His answer was quick — “The kids,” he said. “Definitely the kids.”

Now Santa told me there has been some confusion all around the world about his true identity. Santa said he takes on different forms. He might look just like someone’s mommy or daddy, or granny or pop pop, or even an aunt or uncle. You just might not realize it’s him at times, but it is.

Before Santa sent me on my way, he told me to never forget he is always around. Sometimes, he can be seen wearing that famous red-and-white suit and other times, he’s right there next to parents as they decorate a tree. He’s next to the cashier at the toy store. He’s around the corner at the big box electronics store. He’s whispering in the ear of Mom or Dad.

Santa Claus is real, alright. As real as real can be. To think otherwise would be foolish.

So during this pandemic, I’ve been thinking — hoping and praying, actually — that Santa has been there with all the scientists and researchers working on finding a cure/vaccine/antidote for the coronavirus. I have sent Santa a few thought and prayers to ask that he help these people find whatever it takes to eradicate this virus from the world.

Too many have died and too many have gotten sick. The world has stopped as we wait for some way out of this rabbit hole so we can return to our former lives.

Santa will be there to help where he can. He will guide us and provide whatever it takes to fix this problem.

And to be sure, I will continue my prayers, as have many of you, to ask for this pandemic to end.

Wouldn’t it be great to wake up one morning in the very near future and hear a newscaster say that the pandemic is over? That a cure has been found? That there is a vaccine?

That would be just about the best news we could ever hope for. Even better that waking up Christmas morning and seeing all those presents.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having that hope and faith that we all had when we were little kids.

It’s only May, but here’s to a “Merry Christmas” soon.