Santa Shops at Shopko

When my youngest was three years old, we went shopping with my mother, my grandmother, and my sister to Shopko to grab up last minute Christmas items. As we were walking through the parking lot, a pickup truck pulled up, and a man got out. He was wearing denim overalls over a flannel shirt. He had long white hair, and a bushy white beard, and a pair of glasses perched upon a cold-reddened nose.

I blurted, before my brain could catch up with my mouth, "Oh, look! There's Santa!"

My little three year old turned and looked and cried out with absolute joy, "SANTA!!!!! Hi!!!! IT'S ME!!!!"

That sweet man turned and said, "Well, so it is! It's so good to see you! You've grown so much!"

My daugther smiled and nodded, and jabbered something about Christmas. He asked her if she'd been good, and told her he was looking forward to coming to her house in just two more nights. Then he wished her a Merry Christmas and went on to do his shopping.

My daughter's holiday had been made. She exclaimed over and over about how she had really seen Santa, and not just at the store all dressed up. She jumped up and down, and made up songs about the event. She brought it up year after year after year.

The North Pole might be hundreds of miles away, but I can say with absolute confidence that I know Santa shops at our Shopko.