The Man With The Beard

The earliest memory I have of The Man With The Beard is seeing him in pictures and videos. I'm not sure if my perception of him was shaped by these different forms of media, or by my family. A little of both most likely.

Either way, once a year he would come to visit our house and I could hardly sleep the night before. I'd spend weeks waiting for him, waiting to what he would surprise me with this time! The Man With The Beard never disappointed either, he would bring me exactly what I'd been wanting. Of course, after sending him letters and visiting with his look-a-likes, I'd have been surprised if he didn't bring me at least one thing I wanted.

At my house I always knew The Man With The Beard would come at some point in the middle of the night, and so I would leave my bed periodically throughout the night to check. Each year, the early hours of December 25th definitely saw an increase in bathroom visits in the Roberts' house.

I'd lay in my bed convincing myself I had just heard what had to be hooves on our tin roof. But I knew I couldn't run out just yet, and so I would lie there shaking with excitement, gathering up all the self control my little body could handle.

Eventually of course one of my "bathroom visits" would reveal what I'd been waiting for: a tree surrounded by presents!! No matter if it was barely 12 am, or close to sunrise, no time was too early for me to run around and wake everyone in the house.

The fact that my adult family members allowed this each year is one of my favorite Christmas memories, I know they had to be so sleepy!


I'm sure my excitement was contagious though as I'd barely be able to rip off the wrapping paper from my hands shaking so much. The Woman Who Shaped Me would sit by and be just as excited, giving The Man With The Beard all the credit for all the wonderful gifts I was getting.

After all the presents were opened it was an all-nighter in my house, no way was I going to sleep with all the new stuff I had! Once it was an appropriate time, I'd call my Aunt and cousins to see if The Man With The Beard had stopped by their house yet. Year after year he would come by, munch on some cookies, and leave our stockings bulging and the space under our tree filled.

The magic that The Man With The Beard brought to my life each year is one of my favorite parts of my childhood, and why Christmas is my favorite holiday to this day. Of course, now that I'm older a lot of The Man With The Beard's magic isn't as effective on me, sadly. But it's just one more reason that I can't wait to have kids of my own, so that hopefully one day I can introduce them to the excitement and magic that The Man With The Beard brings around each December.