Dearest Mr. Santa Claus... [Dance Give-Away]

I was raised believing in Santa Claus and Christkind (a German tradition)...and lots of gifts on Christmas morning.  What a magical time!  Christmas continues to be a special holiday for my family and me, but not because of the presents we expect to receive on Christmas morning.  We no longer exchange gifts, at least not the tangible kind.  As adults, we have a better grasp on the true meaning of Christmas....and so we give of ourselves.  We share  experiences with one another and with people in our community. We also do a better job of sharing our blessings, which I admittedly take for granted from time to time.

​One of my fondest Christmas memories is from early childhood.  At the time, my mother was helping homeless people write resumes and find jobs.  Through these brave women and men, we learned about the plight of homeless families.  It wasn't long before Mom started a clothes drive in the apartment complex where we lived.  Initially the big black plastic bin, which she purchased in the hope of collecting gently worn winter clothing, stayed empty. That is, until Mom, who had started taking guitar lessons, wrote a poem, which she turned into a song about a little homeless girl. She called it, "Dearest Mr. Santa Claus."  We made a flyer, on which we glued the text of the poem and an image from a Christmas card of a little girl holding a teddy bear looking up in the sky at Santa and his sleigh.  After we finished our arts-and-crafts project,  we taped the flyer next to the big black bin and the sign soliciting clothes donations for homeless families.  

And then something magical happened.  

The bin, which for weeks had remained empty, began to overflow, as did my brother's and my  joy whenever we helped my mother transport warm, beautiful clothes to the local homeless shelter.  I can't remember the gifts that were under the Christmas tree for my brother and me that year, but I do remember the Dearest Mr. Santa Claus song and the magic that it brought to us and our community.

In this spirit, I would like to share my love for dance with my  beautiful dance community.  During the month of December, Dance Artistry will give away 2 free dance sessions every week.  If you know of someone who could use a  lift--physically or mentally-- or who might enjoy learning how to dance but perhaps doesn't have the means to do so,...whatever the reason....please send  an email to me at [email protected] with the following information:  your name, the name of the person you're nominating and why you think he/she should be selected. Every week, two people will be chosen to each receive a gift certificate for a complimentary dance class session.  On the email Subject Line, please write "Spirit of Giving."  Thank you.

Wishing you and yours an abundance of joy and magic,
Arianne