After pandemic isolation, this California Santa has a powerful gift
Santa #Santa
So much has been lost during the pandemic, and perhaps nothing greater than the human touch, the joy of being surrounded by others, the magic moments that surprise you, making life a little brighter. And for the residents of the Gateway Center, a facility for adults with intellectual disabilities in Pacific Grove, Calif., this holiday season was especially brightened by the appearance of a white-bearded Santa Claus wearing his blaring red-and-white suit, cinched with a wide black belt.
On Christmas Eve, a furniture maker from Monterey, by the name of Vern Brischke, stepped into his snow-white GMC Sierra truck and headed to spread the joy that perhaps only he could deliver.
Throughout California’s Central Coast, there were no doubt many Santas at many malls, but here at the Gateway Center, Brischke was especially welcomed. The residents were drawn to him, responding with smiles so broad that Santa’s eyes widened in unison.
The widespread use of face masks, so needed for protection, had inevitably made it harder for Santa to fully read the emotions of those who came to him. On Friday at Gateway, many of the residents’ faces were uncovered, and Brischke could see the need for emotional connection and joy more than ever.
“I can read it when people need more time, a little bit more touch, that simple hug you can hold for 20 seconds,” said Brischke, 67, who visits multiple places, including Gateway, during the Christmas season.
During a stop at a community holiday dinner serving thousands of people, Brischke met Eva Lindsay, 5, who has a hearing impairment. “He makes me so happy,” she said, adding that “I really like his bells.”
At Gateway Center, he said, he found “some of the most loving people that there is.” They affected him as much he has helped them. When they sat on his lap, or broke into a grin, he said, “it almost brought tears to my eyes.”
It was such a simple, powerful gift: a smile, to be seen and shared.
