Article by Katie Yoder in "Townhall":
In anticipation of the upcoming election year, negative
stories abound in the media. But, this Christmas season, outlets are
also sharing stories of hope and good news – from holiday cards
encouraging the elderly that their lives are worth living to a Santa
Claus who signs “Merry Christmas” for children who can’t hear.
They
exist – and they’re well worth paying attention to. Here are five
heartwarming stories to share this Christmas that exemplify the goodness
of humanity:
1. Christmas Card Inspires Elderly Grandma to Keep Living
An
elderly grandmother in the U.K. suffers from dementia and physical
disabilities – but that doesn’t stop her from influencing passersby.
According
to a tweet from her granddaughter, Melly, she “sits in her chair by the
window all day, every day - just looking outside & normally feeling
lonely.” She does something else too: she makes a point of sharing a
smile with people who walk past.
One of those people, named “Leigh,” sent the grandmother a thank-you note and store voucher this Christmas, the Evening Standard reported on December 23.
“To
the lady who waves and smiles, with Christmas wishes,” the letter read.
“It’s nice to see you smile and wave when I walk past your house.
Please accept my small token gift to give you another reason to smile.”
The grandmother changed Leigh – and Leigh changed the grandmother.
"Two
days ago she said she wished she was dead,” Melly said of her
grandmother, “and today she’s so happy and keeps asking us to read the
message out loud.”
2. Santa’s ‘Elves’ Respond to Children’s Letters from around the World
When children send letters to Santa, there’s a good chance they’ll land in Santa Claus, Indiana, reported the Indianapolis Star on December 17. Every year, a group of “volunteer” elves there respond to tens of thousands of letters.
“We
never refer to what they want, bringing a gift — we can't do that," Pat
Koch, Santa Claus Museum & Village founder and "Chief Elf," told
the outlet. "But we always try to lift them up.”
One
letter sent in 2019 reads, “I kinda want a PS4 or another PS3
controller. ... But what I really want is for (my friends') suffering
(to) end. Let (my friend's) mom out of jail and for her dad and mom to
be off of the drugs."
Another child wrote, "All I want for Christmas is for my mommy and my daddy to be happy."
These are the letters that “elves” like Ann Wahl, a retired schoolteacher, responds to.
"It’s
amazing that the children see other children and they’re hurt for their
friends," Wahl said. "Kids are good. They're innately good.”
"We’re
all kiddos at heart when it comes to the Christmas spirit," she added.
"And that’s one thing I think that we all share, no matter what’s going
on in the world."
3. Nurse Joins Patient in Singing ‘O, Holy Night’ from Hospital Bed
When
24-year-old oncology nurse Alex Collazo discovered one of her patients
was struggling with chemotherapy, she presented him with a guitar, the Tennessean reported on December 17.
That’s
because her patient, 67-year-old Penn Pennington, is a long-time
musician in Nashville, having performed at country bars for 30 years and
even at the Grand Ole Opry. Most recently, his daughter, Brandi Leath,
captured him on camera singing Christmas duets with Collazo at the
Tristar Centennial's Sarah Cannon Cancer Center.
"He's going through something so rough and so
terrifying,” Collazo said, “and this was something I could do for just a
moment in time to help him forget he was in the hospital and what was
going on."
It was a gesture that meant the world to Pennington.
"Any
time you go in the hospital for cancer, it's automatically a downer.
This was an escape, for a while. It was a good thing," he said.
4. NICU Staff Dress Up Babies in Holiday Garb for Cheer
In Atlanta, one NICU center decided to spread the Christmas spirit by dressing up their little patients in holiday garb.
"Our
NICU nurses dressed babies in holiday sweaters, bows, dresses and
stockings," the hospital, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, told 11Alive. "Nurse Terri Gonzales took photos. We posted on social media, and it has gone viral."
The photos show preemies dressed up as Santa, elves, and even stocking stuffers.
One
parent wrote in response, "Thank you guys for taking care of my Níla
she's doing great!!!! I can't wait to take her home!!!!”
5. Santa
Claus who signs “Merry Christmas” for children who can’t hear.
One
Santa Claus in Kentucky decided that, this year, the Christmas message
should be shared with all children – even those who can’t hear it.
"Hello!
I am so excited to see you," Jarod Mills verbally says and physically
signs in a video, while dressed up as Santa Claus. “I have heard that
you have been amazing this year.”
“I will see you Christmas,” he concludes. “Merry Christmas!”
Mills is the father of a child who is deaf, a local CBS affiliate reported.
“I
wanted to make a video for any deaf/HOH (hard of hearing) kids who may
not have been able to make it to a Santa who can sign. Enjoy!” Mills
wrote in his post. He later added, “I just want to make sure Santa is
accessible to everyone!”
