I have always loved Santa. He meant happiness to me - warmth, magic and the keeper of dreams. There’s something about the white beard, twinkly eyes that also meant tradition and family.
So, when I had my own kids (now 3 teens) we went and visited Santa every year. The wonder on their faces (ok, maybe some tears when they were toddlers!) was worth the visit.
But I was always amazed by the patience of the man in the beard to listen to the asks, come up with questions and bring the jolly for each lap sitting child in line.
When I heard about a group of Santas (who look like the big man year round!) who meet just a few times a year at a small restaurant up north, I had to go see for myself.
Photographer/producers Hans Ihlenfeldt and Ben Bell made the trek with me to Grawn, MI which is just south of Traverse City, on a cold day in October. When we walked into Rico’s restaurant, we knew it was all worth it.
One by one, the Santas arrived – all sporting some kind of red, hat or wacky shirt. One Santa drives a custom VW Bug that looks like a sleigh on the inside. Another has Christmas songs as his ring tone. One carries gold Santa coins in his pocket to give out to children.
The warmth of these men, who choose to be Santa 365 days a year, was infectious. They shared funny stories of kids who didn’t like their gifts from the year before or a group of people mobbing one Santa while he did regular shopping. But they also shared the tough moments of children who wished for grandparents who passed away and holding newborns in the NICU on Christmas Eve.
There’s something special about a person who chooses to be Santa’s helper year round, wear the beard, and appear as the merriest man in the world at all times. Well, they’ll be honest with you and say that their wives would probably have some stories of when they weren’t so jolly! One Santa did tell me he had to stop yelling at drivers in traffic.
Enjoy this story that is just a spectacular sight, and make sure you stay to sing along with the Santas at the end. My thanks to Santa Michael who let us listen in on their lunch and to all the Santas who bring us joy!