Windburn is just part of the job.
It was noon and just outside of the Elizabeth Fry Society in New West when I had met up with Ms. Claus and Brent, our kind chauffeur Elf. We operate a little grassroots at times, so with no help from flying reindeer and a trusty sleigh, we had to do things our own way. We crammed ourselves (quite literally) into Brent’s truck which was filled with boxes bursting with stockings. I took a peek to see what treats had been stuffed inside by our volunteers and I was excited for the recipients. These were some good items!
It became clear to me as soon as we had descended upon our first unsuspecting woman, this is not just about handing out stockings. She was not expecting our arrival, certainly the look on her face didn’t give any indication. She smiled shyly at us and then slowly resumed her conversation on the phone while investigating the contents of this bright package now on her lap. Soon other women emerged from their rooms to see what the commotion was all about. Words escape me to accurately describe what took place: as each woman took the stocking handed to her, life entered her face as she whispered her words of gratitude, a smile replacing the worried expression that was once there. We sang our way out, leaving behind a group of excited, waving and hopeful women.
We ventured on to Surrey, dropping in on the Front Room which was crowded with people gathered to get out of the cold, have lunch and listen to a visiting church choir sing Christmas carols. We apologized to the men seated with the ladies, that what we had they’d probably not be interested in anyway. In their good manners and kindness several of them replied “That’s ok, she deserves it.”
The final drop-off points at safe-homes and recovery houses were the most profound. We can only begin to imagine what these women have had to deal with in their past and continue to battle today. Cautiously they would come out to greet us and Caroline in all her sweetness would break into song “We wish you a Merry Christmas…” as she handed out the stockings. The quiet and still houses we entered, we left filled with laughter and chatter. I watched two women as they examined the contents of their gifts at the kitchen table. I could hear them discussing the AG hair care products they had received – products they could never afford but had always seen in salon windows. Some women said they were going to wash and do each other’s hair! One woman pulled me aside to say she was scheduled to go in for surgery that afternoon and we had been such a happy distraction in her day full of anxiety.
We were ready to pack up and go when we were told we had missed one woman.
“She’s at the computer, but she’s deaf.”
I approached her, waved and handed her a stocking. Suddenly she looked like a child, her face full of wonder at this stranger dressed in red who had just handed her a present.
She mouthed “Thank you so much”.
“You are welcome, Merry Christmas,” I signed back. Suddenly the stocking was temporarily forgotten and it was a flurry of hands as we talked about Christmas, being deaf, Beauty Night Society and why we were both there.
At our last stop, an older woman was outside placing suitcases into the trunk of her car. At the sight of us she cheerfully said “Well Christmas has sure come early!” We told her we were there to bring some cheer to the women of the house, she told us she had come to bring her granddaughter home. With that, a young woman came bouncing out of the house, suitcase in hand. Caroline handed her a stocking, “This is for you, darling. Merry Christmas.” As the girl ran back into the house, the Grandma hugged each of us, “I don’t know who you are, but thank you. Thank you.”
These stockings are made, filled and delivered with LOVE.
All the contents are things most of us take for granted: soap, shampoo, a toothbrush. And yes, we fill them up with other unexpected treats like hair accessories, jewelry, makeup samples and lotion, but more often than not, these little luxuries are unattainable because of the price tag. I realized what’s appreciated more than the stocking is the gesture itself. These women welcomed this boisterous, loving interruption in their day, in a life where they might see more bleak days than happy ones. It’s a gift of kindness and compassion from the donors and the volunteers, and it’s an act of love because we’re telling them we care and that we want them to smile. And they did.
As Caroline and I departed at Gateway skytrain station, we came across a young woman desperately trying to scale some stairs while using crutches and juggling two large bags. As soon as we approached her to offer help, she broke down in tears. She explained she just came from the hospital and was trying to catch the bus to visit her kids and her cell phone had died. We helped her get to her bus stop, and let her use our phone to have someone pick her up. As she explained to her friend that two women had stopped to help, she finally saw who stood in front of her, Ms. Claus and an Elf. And she laughed at the insanity of it all. As we left her, Caroline whispers to me “See? It’s so much more than just a stocking.”
Sometimes it seems like we’re fighting a losing battle and all we ask for is a break and maybe a bit of hope. And that’s exactly what these stockings are all about.
Ms. Claus and Elf Heather
