Being Santa Claus : What I Learned About the True Meaning of Christmas (9781101600528) (21 page)

I feel incredibly grateful to have met folks like Lottie during my life as Santa. They’ve made me as happy as the real Santa Claus could ever hope to be. Every time that I have a Santa Claus encounter, whenever someone recognizes me, reaches out to me with a friendly greeting, handshake, or hug, or simply gives me a smile, it reminds me that the spirit of Christmas can be held in your heart at any age and on any day of the year.

I’ve learned firsthand that Christmas is magic—pure
and simple. It remains the one holiday when people will go out of their way to be extra nice and generous to others. It is a chance for us to put the stress of everyday life on hold for just a bit and celebrate all the joys and inherent goodness of humanity. Christmas reminds us of happy memories and big wishes for the future that might just come true. All we need to do is believe, and keep our eyes and hearts open for those unmistakable flashes of Christmas magic that show up whether we’re eight years old or eighty.

So far, Lottie hasn’t called me. But if and when she ever does, I fully intend to keep my promise to come to her bedside for a photo—no matter how far I have to travel.

After all, that’s what Santa would do.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Sal would like to thank…

Jonathan Lane, my collaborator on this book
—While I might be an entertaining storyteller, Jonathan is a true wordsmith. We worked together for more than two years on this wonderful book, recording more than fifty hours of telephone interviews and drilling down into the vaults of my memory until every important detail had been unearthed for Jonathan to organize and write up with me. I can honestly say that without Jonathan involved, this book would never have gotten written.

Linda Lizard, my wife
—It’s not easy being married to Santa Claus. Each Christmas season, her husband all but disappears for two or three months. And I’m also away from home at other times during the year, leaving poor Linda to manage the home front all by herself. It’s been challenging at times, and I don’t take the time to thank Linda for her patience, understanding, and support nearly enough. So I want to use this opportunity to put it down in writing for all to see. Thank you, Linda. I love you, too.

Jonathan would like to thank…

Sal Lizard, the world’s best Santa Claus
—When I first heard some of Sal’s Santa stories, I said, “You need to write a book!” Although Sal had thought about such a project, he tended to get really busy and hadn’t really gotten anywhere. So I said, “Hey, maybe I could help you write it!” What followed was a two-year odyssey during which I learned so many incredible things about this truly inspirational man, and we developed a close connection—even across three thousand miles—a friendship that I’ve come to cherish. Sal has an amazing memory, and I continue to marvel at all he’s experienced and accomplished in his life.

William B. Stanford, my father-in-law
—A first-time author like myself, my father-in-law inspired me by writing his own book and getting it published. In his case, the book was about the amazing life his parents had experienced in France during World War II (it’s called
Lizzi and Fredl: A Perilous Journey of Love and Faith
, and it’s a must-read). William spent years interviewing his parents and turning their stories into an engrossing manuscript. He then managed to find a publisher and get his book into stores, proving to me and others that even a novice, unpublished author can still make it to the big time.

Dedee Lane, my mother
—A teacher of reading and English for nearly fifty years, Mom was my first editor. She pushed me to delve ever deeper into Sal’s thoughts and feelings to provide more emotional insight into his
stories and enrich the reading experience. Mom caught more typos than I could ever count and, along with my father, Arthur, played cheerleader through what was a roller-coaster ride on the road to publication. They never stopped believing in Santa and also in Sal and me.

Wendy Lane, my wife
—Each day as I wrote this book, Wendy headed off to a very demanding job while I stayed home and took care of our brand-new son, Jayden. She would have so loved to spend more time with Jayden, and maybe, if this book is successful, that can still happen. In the meantime, though, I see Wendy’s dedication and hard work, and I know that I can never thank her enough for the sacrifices she makes each and every day of our lives together with our beautiful son. I love you so much, honey.

Sal and Jonathan together would like to thank…

Scott Waxman, our literary agent
—As first-time authors, neither of us had any clue how this whole process works. Scott was very patient, professional, and always friendly and helpful at every step of the way. We couldn’t have asked for a better agent to represent us.

Jessica Sindler, our editor
—Not knowing what to expect after finding a publisher for our book, we felt a little nervous going into the editorial process. But our editor was as nice as nice could be, a true joy to work with. We learned that editors strive to make a book
come out perfectly, and Jessica’s suggestions were spot-on. We love our editor!

Debra Goldstein, industry veteran
—The waters of professional publication can be unpredictable and, at times, even treacherous, especially to novices like us. Deb brought her many years of knowledge and experience to help guide our manuscript to a safe harbor and bring this wonderful book to all of you. We couldn’t have done it without you, Deb.

The entire Gotham publishing team
—From president William Shinker to the marketing and publicity teams, everyone has been so wonderful to us. They all believe in Santa Claus, and they believe in our book. We’re so honored to have such a great publishing company to help bring
Being Santa Claus
to Christmas enthusiasts everywhere.

The more than four thousand members of STARFLEET, the International
Star Trek
Fan Association
—Yes, Santa is a Trekkie, and so is his cowriter. In fact, that’s how we met. Sal was president of the STARFLEET International fan club, serving a three-year term, and Jonathan was his chief of communications. Both Sal and Jonathan have spent decades in this wonderful organization, developing close friendships and having lots of fun. So we wanted to make sure our beloved fan club got mentioned somewhere in this book. And if you know a
Star Trek
fan out there somewhere, send them to www.sfi.org to sign up.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

SAL LIZARD
has been playing Santa Claus professionally for more than twenty years. He lives in Georgia with his wife, Linda (aka Mrs. Claus).

JONATHAN LANE
has worked as both a teacher and, before that, as a creative director for Nestlé’s Willy Wonka website, Wonka.com. Jonathan lives in Southern California with his wife and son.