Is There A Santa??

This month is flying by already. I love December and the Christmas season...one month that I wish would last a bit longer. It seems there are so many obligations and commitments, Christmas parties and shopping..once I get the decorations up, they have to come right down again..or so it seems with the rush of everything. My husband's family comes at Christmas, then we travel to Ohio again to see my family again afterwards and this year, my husband and I are going to Italy (hurrah!) for a much needed vacation the first week of January without the kiddos and leaving them with my parents...but it is rush, rush, rush....

Nevertheless, I love this time of year. Especially with kids. Now that my son is almost three, it is becoming very special. He is grasping the concept of Christmas and Santa Claus in the very basic of terms, and it brings such joy to my heart. Do you remember as a child anticipating the arrival of Santa? Those magical moments in December that you will cherish forever? I remember waking up once in the middle of the night and sneaking downstairs to see all the presents under the tree, the cookies eaten, the milk gone....oh, the sheer awe!

But, many people on APC, and even on another board I read, are actually considering not sharing the fantasy of Santa Claus with their child. Now, I understand, if this coincides with religious beliefs, etc. However, for these people, this was not the case. It was merely they felt another "lie", or another "stretch of the truth" that they would be sharing with their daughter would somehow scar her.

Does Santa Claus not embody the pure emotion of giving and love of the season? Why can't we let our children revel in their pure innocence for the few short years that we have it? Why must we have "little adults" right away?

I remember someone writing, "Well, just think about how angry you must have been when you felt that you were lied to for all those years about Santa Claus." And I thought back to the moment when I found out. I was in 2nd grade and on a bus ride home from school. My friend Cindy told me the "truth" because of course, if her magic was gone, she must take mine away, too. And, I was upset. However, I was upset at Cindy for telling me. I was upset that my Santa as I knew him was gone. I was never upset at my parents.

And so you learn to recreate Santa Claus and magic by giving to those you love and to those less fortunate from your lessons learned in youth. You also know someday, hopefully, God willing, you will see your own children believe in Santa and his magic, learn some things, and pass that along to your grandchildren.