Friends

I am 34 years old, and I believe in Santa Claus.



As a parent, I have discovered that there are many other parents who shrug off the belief of St. Nick, and typically inform their kids at a very young age that he "doesn't exist". I find that disheartening.

The idea of Santa Claus is, at its core, a fantastical one. There's this one guy, who runs all over the world, in one night, with a bunch of hoofed couriers, delivering toys and goodies to children everywhere, devouring cookies and milk (Santa gets Starbucks at my house), laughing all the way.

That's pretty awesome, and I'm totally okay with that.

You will not find within me a very religious person. Those who know me well are aware of this, and it rarely comes up in most aspects of my life. My kids go to (Methodist) church, and I go with Wonder Wife when she wants me to. It doesn't bother me, I don't sneer at it, and I sit through it. There are lots of good things with church, the lessons they teach, and the help they provide. I'm not one of those trumpeting non-religious types who go round after round in the endless conversation of why organized religion is good or bad. I did that plenty in the college days, and had more than enough of it.

Knowing what Christmas "really means", and why Christians celebrate it is one of the reasons I believe in Santa Claus. Knowing the Pagan history of things like the tree in the living room, feasting, and the giving of gifts to celebrate seasonal turns gives a nice, full envelope of reasons that people of many different faiths can celebrate a holiday on December 25th.

It's quite nice to believe in Santa Claus. It's easy to understand in the sense that Kris Kringle is all of us. It's me, you, that guy who helped you jump your car, the girl who gave her pennies to the bell ringer, the old woman who makes quilts for the tiny babies born on Christmas, the dad who makes cocoa for his cold kids, and the sister who takes her baby sitting money to buy presents for her siblings. He is all of us.

If you're a parent, don't rush to dissolve the heady illusion of Santa. He helps you instill joy and imagination to your children, keeping you young and smiling. If you don't happen to have kids, then remember St. Nick when your friends are around, because he will help you surprise them with your gifts and good cheer.

I have a few more years to play Santa Claus for my youngest child, and I will do it with Joy. When they've all gotten older, and she asks the inevitable, I will tell her that yes, he does exist; though maybe not quite as you thought.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Wonder Wife would say what she usually does: "Man, did I marry a geek, or what?"

You can see the three step over here:

http://ckinfinite.blogspot.com/2009/12/three-phases-of-spider-man.html