Personal Narrative: The Christmas Elf

“Do I look just like an elf, Grandma?” I asked

“You sure do,” she said, “but wait just a minute while I finish buttoning up your coat.”

I was so excited! Grandma had asked me participate in a Twelve-Days-of-Christmas activity, where I got to dress up as an elf and take packages to a house in her neighborhood every night until Christmas. I didn’t know who the people where, but I loved my costume! I had a long, floppy hat, big boots with bells on the end, and a green patchwork coat with wooden buttons.

“Are you done, Grandma?”

“I am! Are you ready to go?”

“Oh, yes! I’m an elf!” I said as I jumped down from the stool and ran toward the garage door.

Next thing, we were driving toward the house I was supposed to deliver to. When we arrived, I looked out at the little lawn and worn paneling around the doorway. Grandma handed me a couple of wrapped packages.

“OK, now you need to be fast!” she said, “As soon as you ring the doorbell, hop in and we’ll be able to get away before they recognize either of us.”

I smiled and laughed. I loved being sneaky! I quickly jumped out and ran toward the front door of the small, old house, slipping a little on the ice. I carefully placed the package on the doorstep and placed my finger on the doorbell. I could feel the excitement now! I rang the bell with the tip of my finger and ran as fast as I dared in my jingling boots back into Grandma’s car.

“Good job! Woo!” Grandma yelled out as we drove away. Just as we were turning the corner, I looked back at the house and saw the front door open.

“Erin, what do want for Christmas this year?” Mom asked the next morning as she was making cookies for neighbor gifts.

“I want a lot of stuff! I want a baby doll, and a toy car, and a new blanket, and a coloring book!” I put down my stuffed animals and showed her my lengthy list, with a lot of lines drawn haphazardly on the page. I still couldn’t quite get my letters to look like the grown-up’s.

“Wow, that is quite a list! Do you think you’ve been good enough to get all of these things?”

“Of, course, Mom! I’ve been super good! Santa will be sure to come. . . won’t he?” I asked a little nervously.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” she smiled. “Did you think of what to get your brother?”

“Ummm, no. He’s a baby. What could he want for Christmas?”

“How about what to get your friends?” She turned and looked at me over the rolling pin.

“Well, uh, I don’t know what they want either. I can give them sone candy, maybe,” I said a little awkwardly. I hadn’t even given a thought to what I should give anyone.

“Erin, I think you should start thinking about what you should give them. They’re your friends! Don’t you think you should be nice and get them something?” She was giving me her full attention now, looking me in eyes. It suddenly made me feel small.

“But Mom,” I whined, “I don’t like giving presents! It’s boring, and I don’t like to wrap them up. It’s so hard.”

“Well, think about it, and let me know what you think you should do,” Mom said carefully as she turned back to the cookies.

“OK, Mom.” For some reason, I began to feel a little guilty, but I quickly became distracted by my stuffed animals and forgot about the conversation.

“OK, you ready?” Grandma asked as we drove up to the front of the house again.

“For sure!” I had been delivering packages for a few days now, and I felt like a professional. I quickly jumped out of the car and began my routine of placing the package on the step and my finger on the doorbell. Just as I was about ring the bell and split, the door opened!

Oh, no! I thought.

“Hello! Who are you?” A tall, scruffy man stood in the doorway. He had worn jeans and dirty tennis shoes, with a faded baseball cap on his head. He looked tired and somehow strained.

“Uh. . . um. . .” I stammered. I hadn’t planned for what to do if I got caught. This wasn’t supposed to happen! “I’m. . . a Christmas elf. Yeah, a Christmas elf!” I stammered.

The man’s tired eyes softened, and I saw a little smile touch the corners of his mouth. From inside the house I could hear children running around and laughing.

“Well, can you do me a favor? Will you tell your boss, Santa Claus, how much we appreciate what you’ve done for us? It really means a lot.”

“Um, sure. I, uh, better go now.” I jumped off the porch and ran to my Grandma’s car.

“Oh, man! It looks like we got caught!” Grandma said as we drove away. Once again, I looked back at the house before turning the corner. This time, I saw the tall man waving, so I waved back.

“Grandma,” I said, “the man said he really appreciated what we’re doing.”

“Oh, that was nice of him! His name is Chris Anderson, and his family has been having a tough time this year. He lost his job, and hasn’t been able to find a new one before the holidays. I’ve been putting food and clothes into those packages. I’m glad we have been able to help them.”

I thought about that for a minute. “You mean, they don’t have money for food and clothes?” 

Grandma nodded. 

That sounded scary! I had never thought about what would happen if my parents ran out of money. Then another thought occurred to me: “Grandma, what are they going to do for Christmas if they have no money? Is Santa going to help them?”

“Well, dear, Santa sometimes needs help getting presents. He definitely needs help getting presents for the Anderson kids this year.”

I had to stop and think about what it would be like to wake up Christmas morning and have no presents. It made me sad! “Grandma, have we been helping Santa help them?”

“Yes, I guess we have been. Are you glad to help?”

“Yeah. I feel really good all over on the inside. Is this how it always feels to help people?” 

“I’d say so,” she said with a smile.

Suddenly, this nightly activity had become more than just a game of dress up or being sneaky. As I remembered the kind look the man had given me, I felt a warm feeling swell up inside inside my heart and go throughout my whole body. “Thanks for letting me help, Grandma.”

“You’re welcome sweetheart.”

“Hey, Mom? Did you know me and Grandma are Santa’s helpers?” I said the next morning.

“You are?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah. We gave the Andersons presents, because Santa sometimes needs help. I like giving them presents. . . Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think giving presents to my friends and to my baby brother will feel good too?”

“Yes. Giving always feels good.”

“OK. I think I’ll try to think of something to give them. If giving feels this good, I want give more often.”

My Mom smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea!”