Interesting conversations here lately…
Of course anyone who knows me knows that I love Christmas and all the trimmings that come with it. Shoot, I’m that guy who is playing christmas music before Halloween. Well, on multiple occasions today I spoke with people who said that they were not going to play Santa Claus when they become parents.
I know, I was baffled too. The only response I had to this travesty was “Your children are going to go to school and ruin Santa for those who do believe!” Now, I will admit that this was not the most intellectual argument but the child in me took over. So I will express what I meant to say earlier sense. It makes a huge difference now that no one is listening.
One of the main arguments that has been expressed is the fact that they [the future parents in question] don’t want to go through the hassle of putting on the act for years and then finally having to tell the children that they have been lied to for x number of years. Is this a valid argument? I suppose if looked at that way then who would really want to play Santa? It’s so much more than that though. Those with this mindset see the idea of Santa being about the hassle of sneaking presents into the living room at an ungodly hour from the location unknown to children and then gorging yourself on cookies and milk year after year (Although, I image the cookie part wouldn’t be much to complain about.) But that’s only surface deep. I honestly think that Santa is about giving your kids faith to believe in something they can’t see.
Some of my best childhood memories come from Christmas eve. I remember baking cookies with my mom and making a little sign with card stock and a tooth pick that read, “Reserved for Santa” in my scratchy handwriting. (I always was a crafty little devil.) It would go right into the middle of a cookie sitting on top of four more serving as a base to the strategically planned pyramid. No more, no less. One year we even left carrots out for Rudolph. Of course the leader of this legendary midnight flight needed a snack too. Not to mention it would “help his eye sight in the snow storms!” Or so seven-year-old Jason said.
Anyway, once all was set out and I was tucked in with my Christmas pajamas and stuffed animals I would then prepare for a good night’s sleep that always seemed to come five or six hours later because the excitement was just too much for me to handle. I would beg my mother to give me medicine to knock me out. Being the good mother that she was she never did. That was okay though because payback was coming at 3 o’clock the next morning when I got up and realized that there was presents with my name all over them. Of course I did what any civilized, well-mannered child would have done… I ran through the house screaming (bet she wished she gave me medicine then.) It was time to open presents and everyone needed to know it! The feeling was priceless and of course going through old family pictures proved my face was too. I may even find one to post later.
So what’s my point? Santa promotes Insomnia? No, I have that problem now without having help. I guess what I’m asking is why take the magic out of this amazing time of year? Children feed on belief in the impossible and I believe that it promotes a healthy imagination, something that is sometimes lost with age. Little things like belief in Santa make up what I see to be the foundation of bigger things in life such as faith. You have to work up to the belief in a God that can’t see. Especially in a world that is so driven by visual proof.
Maybe I’m crazy but I don’t won’t my children to miss out on any part of the childhood I had. Yeah, I know Santa isn’t real but to them he will be. They will have that same twinkle in their eyes as I had every Christmas eve along with the same energy I had Christmas morning. That alone will be enough for me. And when the time comes for me to tell them that their jolly friend is nothing but a fictitious character I don’t think I will ever regret my decision to bring the warmth of this ancient legend into my home. They will no longer wait for him on Christmas eve but the same pleasant spirit will remain on Christmas day because the memories made will keep him alive.
Merry Christmas one and all!
Jason Moore 