For the last two seasons, we have dealt with a virus that was extremely contagious. Many folks feared even going to the store and most did not do their normal Holiday season things during 2020.
It is for that reason I started offering a virtual Santa visit.
Now, there was a huge learning curve that I had to overcome. I watched a lot of Youtube how-to videos about using a green screen, lighting and such. I wanted to provide at least a great video experience for those that could not make it to a Santa visit.
So, I got my first request and it was from a friend of my sister-in-law. She had a good friend that knew a little girl in England that was very upset. A lot of her peers had started making fun of her because she chose to still believe in Santa. I was given the mom’s name and contact information to reach out to.
I asked her to tell me a little about the girl and what she had gone through. The mom said that her daughter was being bullied at school for just believing in Santa and felt very alone. I asked the mom to send me info on her daughter and her siblings like their first names, what they like and such so I could make the video a little more “real.” She was overjoyed that I would do this.
I got my green screen put up and recorded myself talking directly to the little girl and her siblings. This took trial and a lot of error on my part to get it right. I read two stories during the video and spoke to each child in the household like they were sitting in front of me.
After I was finished, I edited it as best as I could. I posted it on my Youtube channel and made it private so only the people who had a link could view it.
I sent the link and immediately heard back from the mom. She said they had played the video during a family get together and it brought so much joy and laughter to her daughter and her brother and sister. She said it was such a huge blessing.
I got that response and, I have to admit, it brought a little tear to my eyes. Something so simple could bring that much Christmas Spirit into one household. I decided that I would offer it during the season for anyone that could not make it to see Santa. I started getting requests from all over the USA.
That 2020 season was one of my best on records and it was all because of a little girl in another country BELIEVED.
