Are you Santa?
I have long struggled with how to answer this question and this year my 13 yr old son came right out and said he doesn't believe in Santa. He was being surly and curtish but truthful none the less. A few days later he told us he regrets saying it but now I am wondering how best to turn this into a better moment, a moment of understanding and not just one of too bad you don't believe cause now you don't get a filled stocking on Christmas morning.
I came across this post while surfing around the internet today and feel like it suits my situation.
You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”
I
know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and
I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.
The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.
I
am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also
choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for
me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)
I
imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will
love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will
love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with
Christmas lights.
This won’t make you Santa, though.
Santa
is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of
us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches
children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.
It’s
a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will
need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your
talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you
can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love,
that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even
during its darkest, coldest moments.
Santa is a teacher, and I
have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down
all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people
whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.
So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.
I really love this answer!