Fort Drum spouse helps build community spirit year-round

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Dec. 17, 2015) -- Sarah James wears many hats.

The wife of combat engineer Sgt. William James, she is a mother of two, an active member of her family readiness group and a children's ministry director at her church. James home schools her children McKayla and Christopher and organizes monthly community brunches at the Crescent Woods Community Center.

During the holiday season, James dons yet another hat - a red cap covering a wig of curly gray hair. She also wears a red dress, an apron and spectacles. She uses makeup to create the impression of weathered skin and transforms into Mrs. Claus. She attends community events and visits sick children in local hospitals - determined to bring joy and a sense of wonder to those she meets.

"Christmas has always been a very special time of year for me," James said. "I come from a musical Family, so we would sit around and sing, play instruments or both. When I think of Christmas, I think of Family, fun and togetherness."

James has adapted her idea of Family togetherness since her husband joined the Army six years ago. She is no stranger to shopping, cooking and decorating for the holidays on her own. Her husband has been deployed for four of the six holiday seasons that have passed since the two were married. James said that, while it is difficult, the two understood from the beginning that this was part of military life.

"We went into this knowing that this was a job where he was going to be gone a lot," she said. "This is the calling [of] his life - to be a Soldier. As a military wife, the calling [of] my life is to support him, no matter where he goes."

While it is hard to be apart during the holidays, James said that she and her Family have worked to stay connected in creative ways.

"Every year, we do matching pajamas at Christmas time," she said. "When he is deployed, we mail Daddy's pajamas to him, and he takes a picture. I crop it into our Family pictures so that every year we have a Family photo even if he's in the desert."

"If you can find that one little glimmer of joy, that will get you through everything," she said.

In 2010, while William James was attached to the 926th Engineer Battalion in Montgomery, Alabama, James began working with a professional party company. It was with this organization that she first attended an event as Mrs. Claus.

Her desire to help military Family members feel a sense of joy and excitement during the holidays - even when they could not be with their Soldier - prompted James to begin performing her role as Mrs. Claus both on and off post.

"I started out doing events - handing out cookies to the kids and reading stories," she said. "When the kids go to see Santa, it brings a sense of normalcy into their lives. It helps the Families to keep things going when their Soldier is away. It gives them something to look forward to rather than sitting at home and thinking about what they are missing out on."

When the James Family arrived on Fort Drum in June, she immediately began looking for opportunities to reach out to members of the post community. She got in touch with her Family readiness group and expressed her desire to work with them.

"I told them - I'll volunteer with whatever you need done," she said. "I'll sew, I'll cook, I'm crafty - just let me know what you need."

James helped out with numerous events, but she was particularly excited when she learned of an event hosted by Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes, or FDMCH.

"I went to the mail, and there was a flyer about Christmas events," she said. "I saw that they do a cookies with Santa event, so I sent over an email and some pictures."

The staff at FDMCH responded with enthusiasm, James said.

"We want to serve everywhere we can," she said. "I've been given this gift - being able to act as Mrs. Claus and help others, and that is something that I feel really passionate about."

For each cookies with Santa event, James dons her costume and spends hours reading Christmas stories and visiting with the children who attend. She speaks to them about what it is like to take care of the elves and get Santa ready for his big night.

While the children are naturally drawn to Santa Claus, seeing Mrs. Claus adds another element to the events, she said.

"Kids get excited to see Santa - that's a given. When they see Mrs. Claus, though, it really brings the whole story to life. The magic and excitement that you see on the kids' faces - it's just priceless."

James said that she thinks of Mrs. Claus as a mother-figure and wife.

"I've always looked at Mrs. Claus as a nurturer," she said. "When I think of her, I think of the important role that a mother and wife plays in a Family - keeping everybody together and bringing a sense of home and love."

She said that she also sees Mrs. Claus as a strong woman and a supporter of her husband as he fulfills his mission.

"I see her as someone who ties everything together so that Santa can go out and deliver toys," she said. "He can do his job without distraction because she is there to support him. That's what I have always loved about Mrs. Claus."

James has also begun another tradition to spread holiday cheer within Fort Drum's housing areas.

"It's called 'you've been jingled,'" she explained. "We put a little gift basket out at someone's house. It has a note saying that we just wanted to do something nice for the holidays."

The basket contains a note asking Families to consider passing a small gift on to someone else on post and asking them to hang a bell on their doorknob if they have already been "jingled." James said she enjoys driving around post and seeing all the bells, knowing that this means the Family has received a gift.

"It brings a sense of community and togetherness," James said. "You don't know who did it. It could have been a friend, or it could be someone you have never met. It's a great way to build camaraderie."

While it may seem like nothing more than a fun way to surprise neighbors during the holiday, James sees this effort as something that can do much more to bring community members together.

"Even though we come from all different walks of life, we're all still a Family when you're in the military," she said. "If we don't stand together as a whole, then we're not going to function as well as we could. I really want to help bring that sense of Family - to show that we are all in this together."

Related Links:

Army.mil: Army Families

Army.mil: Human Interest News