Perhaps you remember a Christmas when you got that one special gift. The one you really wanted. The one that made waking up on Christmas morning seem all so magical, because you knew Santa had heard your special wish and made it come true. We had a Christmas like that when my daughter Kelsey was three years old.

Kelsey had one special wish for Christmas that year. All she wanted was a My Size Barbie ™.

The Mattel toy company had come out with a life size Barbie doll that stood about three feet tall and came with a variety of physical characteristics. If you were lucky you could find one that looked very much like the little girl who would receive it. You could choose the color of the skin, hair and eyes from the many dolls available.  A life size playmate for little girls, and they could even wear the beautiful princess gowns that came with the doll.

This one special doll was the only thing my daughter Kelsey wanted for Christmas, and her dad and I wanted very much to fill the wish of our darling daughter, so we went to the local toy stores to check out the life-size Barbie dolls.

The dolls were quite lovely. Some had blond hair and blue eyes, some had black hair and dark eyes and there were ones like Kelsey with long brown hair and soft brown eyes. But these very special dolls did not come cheap. Besides being ten times bigger than a regular doll they cost ten times more.

Kelsey’s dad and I wanted very much to fill her Christmas wish, but we could not reasonably afford such an expensive doll. It wasn’t that we couldn’t afford to buy any Christmas presents for our children, but being the practical parents that we were, such an expensive doll was beyond our budget. We picked out a very nice, but smaller (much smaller) doll as our gift for Kelsey. We were well aware it wouldn’t be the one special doll that she was wishing for, but we hoped it would still be enjoyed.

The days passed quickly with so much to do; decorating the house with lights, pick out a tree to decorate with all the special ornaments collected over the years, lots of Christmas shopping, and of course lots of time with family and friends.  As Christmas drew closer and closer I really began to fear the disappointment that awaited Kelsey on Christmas morning.

Soon it was Christmas Eve. I was home alone getting the house ready for the big family celebration planned for Christmas day. My husband had taken Kelsey and her brother on one last shopping trip and to see the holiday lights and decorations of Christmas.

That’s when I got the phone call; on Christmas Eve, when Kelsey wasn’t home.

It was Robin, our neighbor from across the street. She asked me to please come over; she had something to show me. She didn’t want to tell me why, she just asked me to come on over.

When I got there she took me to the back bedroom and there on the bed sat a My Size Barbie doll dressed in a pretty pale blue princess gown. It had long brown hair and soft brown eyes just like Kelsey. “Surly you know someone who would just love to receive this one special doll,” she said.

Tears come to my eyes as Robin explained how she wanted to give the doll to Kelsey. She only asked that the gift not come from her, it was to be a gift from Santa, just as Kelsey had wished.

Here it was Christmas Eve and at the end of the work day Robin had been given the doll by her boss at Mattel. Robin had worked on designing these dolls and her boss wanted to give her one of the dolls to take home. Somehow she had heard that Kelsey had asked Santa for a My Size Barbie doll, her one and only request. She also knew that my husband and I could not afford such an expensive gift. The way she saw it, the Great Spirit of Christmas had heard Kelsey’s wish and had another plan. Santa, the true Spirit of Christmas that he is, had worked his holiday magic through his special elves to bring Kelsey her one Christmas wish, for all toy makers everywhere are Santa’s elves.

On Christmas morning, Kelsey ran to the living room. Her face glowed and her eyes lit up, for there standing proud in front of the tree was her very own My Size Barbie doll.

Santa had come and filled Kelsey’s wish.

And he also gave a very special gift to me. I had always thought it was up to me to be Santa for my children, but that year I learned there is a far greater power than even the love of parents and I shall always believe in Santa and the very powerful Spirit of Christmas.

May your Christmas be Merry and Bright and may you Enjoy Always, T