Whoosh! Goes My Heart

From the December 21, 2023 issue of the Transformational Times

Whoosh! Goes My Heart  

Himanshu ‘Tinu’ Agrawal, MD, DF-APA 

Dr. Agrwawal shared this story from his childhood in the holiday issue of the Transformational Times. You can read other stories by Transformational Times team members, Kathlyn Fletcher, Bruce Campbell, and Karen Herzog.  

From ages six until nine, I lived in London. My mother worked in the Indian embassy there, and one day she brought home a chocolate-filled Santa, sitting on a plastic sleigh. 

“Oh my God!” I squealed. ”Is it from Santa Claus?” I couldn’t believe it; it was finally happening. After hearing so much about the big guy from kids at school, I was finally getting a gift from him!  

"No, it’s from Mrs. Malhotra, she works on the desk next to me, you’ve met her,” my mother responded. 

“No! It’s from Santa Claus. You’re teasing me aren’t you, Mom?” I smiled. I could see through her attempts to trick me. 

“I told you. It’s from Mrs. Malhotra,” she repeated. 

“No! It’s from Santa!” I insisted. 

“No! It’s from Mrs. Malhotra!” she snapped back. My mom wanted to make sure poor Mrs. Malhotra received the credit she deserved. 

“You’re lying, Mom! Why are you lying?!” I yelled. I wanted so much to believe Santa had finally read my letters. 

A slap on my face ended any further arguments, as it usually did back in those days.  

Whoosh! went my heart.  

A couple of years later, we returned to our apartment in India, where Santa did not make pit stops. 

Now, four decades later, I find myself back in the land of Santa.  

Now, my son is 8 years old, and he writes letters to Santa every year. 

Now, every Christmas Eve, we tuck in, and I read him ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. 

Whoosh! goes my heart. 

Whoosh! Whoosh! goes Krishna’s heart. 

Whoosh! is the sound that magic makes. 

And you can’t snuff it out with a slap on the face. 

Himanshu Agrawal, MD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at MCW. He is one of the co-Editors-in-Chief of the Transformational Times.