The author, Martha Brockenbrough wrote a letter to her daughter a few years ago and it recently showed up on my newsfeed. I was inspired and decided it was time to write a similar letter to my children. I gathered them around the tree in new pjs and hot cocoa. The scene was not so much Norman Rockwell as it was Target and Swiss Miss, but it was nice.
Dear My-Not-So-Little
Children,
I know you know. About Santa.
And I know you are tired of me going on and on, with vague answers and
circular questions like, “I don’t know, what do you believe?” And I wonder if this might even make you feel
guilty for wanting to know the truth.
Perhaps you’ve worried that if you don’t believe in Santa, it might
break a little piece of my heart somehow.
Maybe you worry that I won’t put effort into Christmas anymore if you
don’t believe in the same way you did when you were younger. Or maybe you’re afraid of what you’ve heard
about non-believers not receiving ANY gifts.
This is all understandably
confusing. I remember being at the same
crossroad when I was young. So I am
going to tell you the truth about Santa, but first, I want to thank you for
believing for all those years because it made the Season seem magical, and that
is a very special gift you’ve given to us.
I also want to thank you for trusting me to bring you through this
magical journey of childlike faith. Dad
and I have loved every second of it.
Watching your smiles stretch wider across your faces as you ran down the
stairs to a lit tree, looking all around and taking it all in. You jumped for joy, got happy for each other,
made a beautiful mess of wrapping paper and ate candy at 7am. You always said “Thank you!” and “I love it!”
and the room was full of joy, surprise and wonder. I cherish and love you for believing in me
and in Santa; even these past few years when you only pretended to
believe.
The truth is, the gift of Santa was given to Dad and me by our parents each Christmas for many years. It's the gift of believing in magic and having childlike faith, and we kept it alive
by putting it in you. See how this
works? We aren’t fools for believing,
no, quite the opposite. We are FULL of
faith in something good, something that uplifts spirits. Isn’t that what this time of year is all
about anyway, no matter what your religious belief is?
So now, the torch is being
passed to you. The magic of the Season
isn’t really something that comes with Santa sliding down the chimney. It comes with being faithful and thoughtful
in a way that celebrates love, life, friends and family. Our family celebrates by giving, serving, exchanging
gifts and baked goods, eating traditional meals with loved ones, believing in
the spirit of a generous being who shares treasures with the world, and
thanking God for all of it.
This may be the year where
Santa lovingly fades from the center of attention and a deeper belief begins to
light your Season. Others may celebrate
differently, more quietly, or without gifts at all but with visits or other
meaningful traditions. The details of
the Season don’t matter so much, like who celebrates what or who received what
gifts. The Season is simply about having
faith, believing in something good, and giving.
Whether people celebrate Jesus, their heritage, a miraculous oil, a
jolly figure, or the hope for a kinder humanity, it’s a united Season.
But you don’t need to
worry, because I will forever want you to make lists and check them twice and
of course I want you to be nice. I want
you to come down the stairs to a lit tree with Christmas gifts surrounding it
and stockings full of new socks, chap-stick and lifesaver books. Only now, we can be open about where the gifts
come from. I want you to share this
magic that’s been passed to you like a brand new gift you have for the
world. I hope you continue to discover holiday magic
in doing for others, giving to others, in the beauty of winter snow, in the
joy in seeing the first holiday lights in the neighborhood against a dark sky,
baking cookies, singing and playing Christmas music, and for now, find joy in
receiving gifts too, because presents are just another way we say I love you at
Christmas time. Which of course is fun, but sort
of silly because you are wise enough to know that presents aren’t love, love is
love.
When others believe
in Santa, be happy for them because they are developing their magic and
faith in the Season that they will someday pass on. So, you are ready to know the truth about
Santa and Christmas magic. But please,
promise to play along with me when I want to set a plate of cookies out for Mr.
and Mrs. Claus and carrots for the reindeer, because I just love Christmas!
All our love,
Mom and Dad
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