The holiday's have past and we are all back to our routines. I woke this morning, and remembered one of my favorite memories from this season. Our store Real Baby collected toys this Christmas for the Toys for Tots campaign. I arrived at the store to pick up our huge brightly wrapped box that was over flowing with toys. Like everyone at Christmas time, I was in a hurry, and late, and still had 10 things to do for a dinner party that night, but I had to deliver this box to its final destination 40 minutes away. I drove fast and took chances. I missed and exit and cursed at my misfortune. I was in a bad mood. I arrived at the Toys for Tots warehouse within in one hour of them closing, on the last day of them being able to accept toys. I rushed up to the office door to find a nice girl behind a desk in a completely empty room. She told me to go to bay #11. "Great, bay #11, how far away is that ?" I thought. "Just pull your car up and someone will help you," she said. I jumped back into my car and checked my watch. Running out of time. I pulled up to giant bay door #11 of the massive warehouse. The door was lifted open and I was greeted by a gentleman wearing a santa hat and coke bottle glasses. "Welcome to Santa's workshop!," he shouted. I stood speechless for a moment. The warehouse was the size of 3 football fields, and it was packed end to end, 15 feet high with toys. Countless workers were stacking, packing, and boxing. Christmas music blared through the loud speakers. Santa's helper jumped down and unloaded the box of toys from my car. He was thrilled! Here was a guy who had enough toys to fill a aircraft carrier, and me dropping off just minutes before his deadline. He says, "Merry Christmas," to me and shakes my hand. He was full of joy and excited at my selection of toys. Three of his helpers came over to see what I had brought. All of them thanked me, shook my hand and wished me a Merry Christmas. The massive door was thrown shut. I was left alone, standing in the quiet, on the oil stained gravel parking lot. I could not stop smiling. Time slowed down. I had not a care in the world. I was just touched by the true meaning of Christmas at a random warehouse in the middle of Colorado. Sharing with others, caring for others, the kindness of strangers, giving and not caring about receiving. I drove slowly, blaring Christmas tunes all the way home.
