The Santa Sit Down

Thank GOD this is not the year we have to have to Santa sit down. I will never forget the year Charlie (my younger brother) found out and it was all my fault. That was the year that all those presents under the tree for me suddenly changed (I’m talking in like twenty minutes) and there was a nice box of switches. For those of you not familiar with the Southern version of switches…those are the things your Ma makes you go out into the yard and choose so she can paddle your bottom with it. At least that’s what it was when I was growing up.

 

It all started for me with a note! We would leave cookies and milk out for Santa and each Christmas morning there was note from him thanking us. However that year I noticed that Santa’s handwriting looked suspiciously like my Daddy’s handwriting and I made a point of saying something. Typically this wouldn’t matter but Daddy had a very particular handwriting. Every letter was always perfectly formed as a result of having his hand popped with a ruler by the nuns when he was learning to write. There was no mistaken it. So I opened my big mouth and asked! 

 

Poor Charlie’s face fell and I lost my presents! We then got the talk about how Santa is a feeling and what he represents. The hope and joy of the world and that on Christmas it is our parent’s job to spread that hope and joy to their families. That once we become parents it will be our jobs to do the same and that even though we learn that Santa is not an actual person it is the feelings and child-like wonder that he inspires that is the most important. That was the year that we learned just why Christmas was so huge in our home.

 

We learned why our father went all out each year even going so far as to run around a store with gifts trying to make sure we didn’t see them. He wanted us to always have that hope, joy, and child-like wonder within us and pass it on to our children when the time came. That is something that I pray every year at this time that I am doing. If asked do I believe in Santa I will tell you yes without a doubt. Because I know that Santa is so much more than a jolly man who gives gifts. The idea of him gives hope!