Petite and small in stature, but with a clear mind and a warm heart, she was an important character from my childhood. She was a lady of the old school - from the days when children still respectfully called their parents names, when modesty, work and kindness were the values.
Money was scarce in those days. People lived modestly, on what they produced for themselves. But it was out of this frugality that selflessness grew - there was always something for a neighbour, a friend or a traveller. Mrs Zinka lived this kindness every day. She never expected praise. She often said, "You don't carry goodness in your hands, but in your heart. And the heart never measures how much it gives."
She was my closest neighbour. Her yard and ours were separated only by an old wooden fence and a warm greeting across it. Every Christmas I was greeted with a gift - a carefully prepared basket of sweets and a handwritten card. When I once said to her, embarrassed, "Mrs Zinka, you shouldn't need that," she just smiled and replied, "My little one, what comes from the heart always comes at the right time."
But her kindness was not just for me. As a child herself, she never received a gift. She often quietly said, "There were no presents in our house. Christmas was just prayer and work. But that is why I know what a miracle it is when someone thinks of you."
She promised herself that as long as she lived, no child from a disadvantaged family she learned about would go without a gift. Every year she collected, wrapped and distributed gifts - quietly and modestly. They whispered that she was a real good fairy. Eventually, everyone knew her as Mrs Santa.
Our Lady finished her earthly mission a few years ago, but when I think of her today, I feel a warm sparkle in my heart. She taught me that the real gift is not in the glittering paper and the content of the gift, but in the magic within ourselves and in our sincerity. And every year, when I smell the snow and the cinnamon, I hear her voice gently saying, "If you can light a spark in your fellow human being, then your life is not in vain."
Zala Krupljan, 2. 4. 2025
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