Every year on Christmas, it’s Santa Claus who gives presents to kids around the world, right? He’s the one who spends all year preparing for this one magical night, am I correct? In fact, if I stop a random child on the street and asked him where his Christmas gifts come from, wouldn’t “Santa Claus” be his first answer?
Sadly, almost no recognition is given to the dedicated elves who are actually involved in the nitty-gritty details of gift-making. We not only take them completely for granted, but go out of our ways to extol the virtues of those who are less praise-worthy.
Without elves, Christmas might as well be canceled. Who else can we count on to spend their days sewing dresses onto dolls and carving wood into Lincoln logs? In fact, while Santa Claus is binging on cookies and flying around in his version of a private jet, his staff of elves is probably already working on next year’s batch of gifts.
And yet when children open their gifts the following morning, Santa Claus – the useless obese man who simply delivers their presents – is the one they all thank. The old man, of course, is never in a big hurry to give credit where credit is due.
Elves will never find themselves on the cover of glittery Hallmark Christmas cards, nor will any of them ever be the hero of a bad holiday movie. Elves never receive long letters from adoring children, and they certain don’t set up booths in the mall so that kids can line up to sit in their laps for a few seconds.
No – they do not share their boss’ need for attention and glory. Instead, they are perfectly content with remaining in the background, pouring their hearts and souls into gifts for children whom they will never meet.
Elves hardly even complain about their jobs. It is assumed that they are perfectly content with what they do, but is it really possible to find joy in painting dolls’ eyes all they long? We also know nothing about the conditions of their workplace. Who’s to say that Santa doesn’t exploit them for manual labor and feed them stale candy canes left over from the previous Christmas?
The point is that no one knows because no one cares enough to find out. Whenever someone is not seen or heard from, we find it all too easy to ignore them. We become desensitized to what they may contribute, never extending our appreciation. In essence, we grow to act as if they don’t exist at all.
Elves don’t strut around in ostentatious red suits demanding attention, but this does not mean that they don’t deserve it. While it may be easy to just thank Santa Claus for filling our Christmas stockings, we cannot forget where our gifts actually come from. This holiday season, let us remember and give thanks to the elves of this world.
Sadly, almost no recognition is given to the dedicated elves who are actually involved in the nitty-gritty details of gift-making. We not only take them completely for granted, but go out of our ways to extol the virtues of those who are less praise-worthy.
Without elves, Christmas might as well be canceled. Who else can we count on to spend their days sewing dresses onto dolls and carving wood into Lincoln logs? In fact, while Santa Claus is binging on cookies and flying around in his version of a private jet, his staff of elves is probably already working on next year’s batch of gifts.
And yet when children open their gifts the following morning, Santa Claus – the useless obese man who simply delivers their presents – is the one they all thank. The old man, of course, is never in a big hurry to give credit where credit is due.
Elves will never find themselves on the cover of glittery Hallmark Christmas cards, nor will any of them ever be the hero of a bad holiday movie. Elves never receive long letters from adoring children, and they certain don’t set up booths in the mall so that kids can line up to sit in their laps for a few seconds.
No – they do not share their boss’ need for attention and glory. Instead, they are perfectly content with remaining in the background, pouring their hearts and souls into gifts for children whom they will never meet.
Elves hardly even complain about their jobs. It is assumed that they are perfectly content with what they do, but is it really possible to find joy in painting dolls’ eyes all they long? We also know nothing about the conditions of their workplace. Who’s to say that Santa doesn’t exploit them for manual labor and feed them stale candy canes left over from the previous Christmas?
The point is that no one knows because no one cares enough to find out. Whenever someone is not seen or heard from, we find it all too easy to ignore them. We become desensitized to what they may contribute, never extending our appreciation. In essence, we grow to act as if they don’t exist at all.
Elves don’t strut around in ostentatious red suits demanding attention, but this does not mean that they don’t deserve it. While it may be easy to just thank Santa Claus for filling our Christmas stockings, we cannot forget where our gifts actually come from. This holiday season, let us remember and give thanks to the elves of this world.