Eric Schmitt-Matzen thought he knew what it meant to play Santa Claus. He had brought joy to countless children, but that night in the hospital stripped the role down to its rawest truth. Standing by the bed of a frail 5-year-old whose greatest wish was simply to see Santa, he didn’t perform; he simply loved. He knelt, listened, and answered the boy’s trembling questions about what comes next with a promise: that he would always be Santa’s number one elf.
When the child slipped away in his arms, Eric felt his own heart break. He doubted he could ever don the red suit again. Yet, in time, he realized that this unbearable moment was also sacred. His presence gave a terrified child courage, and devastated parents one last, gentle memory. Sometimes the smallest kindness is all that stands between despair and a sliver of peace.
