A few weeks ago, my husband and I and our two boys were wandering around a local sports store when my oldest called me over to check out something he was clearly super excited about. I walked over and saw he was holding a box with an elf in it, similar to your typical ‘Elf on the Shelf’. This particular elf was wearing a Denver Broncos jersey, our son’s favourite football team. As he stood there smiling at this adorable little elf, he suddenly said…
“Look, there’s a bunch of little plastic ties on him. I bet they do that so he doesn’t escape.”
I almost lost it right there. My eyes welled up with tears and I just wanted to grab him right there and hug him so tight. It was a completely sweet and innocent observation, but it completely melted my heart. I wrapped my arm around him, smiled and said…
“I bet you’re right”.
Our boys are 11 and 9 years old and they both still believe in Santa and everything Christmas. They get up every morning excited to search for their elf. They still write letters to the big guy. They still believe reindeer can fly, and they still leave milk & cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve. They even explained to us recently that they understand the ‘mall Santa’s’ aren’t the “real” Santa, but they work for him, like elves. They still firmly believe in all the magic of Christmas.
Last year, there was a moment with my oldest that I thought he was going to tell me he no longer believed in Santa. He told me that kids at school said that Santa wasn’t real and it’s actually the parents who fill the stockings and wrap the gifts. He paused and I asked him what he thought. He replied with…
“Well, I don’t think so. There’s gotta be a Santa, because where would parents hide all those presents?”
I smiled. I didn’t have to try and convince him or break down and tell him the truth. He decided for himself. He decided to believe.
I know one day soon they’re going to come to us with that big question…are you guys really Santa? When that day comes, the day I think they’ve *really* figured it out, I’m not going to lie to them. I’m going to tell them something similar to a sweet note I recently read online. I don’t remember it word for word, but the general message was something along the lines of this;
No, we are not Santa. We are the ones who wrap the presents under the tree and fill your stockings just like our parents did for us and just like you’ll do for your children someday. But we are not Santa. Santa is not one single person. Santa is love and hope and happiness. Santa is what teaches us the spirit of giving to others from a young age. Simply put, Santa is the magic of Christmas.
I’m not sure when the day will come when we’ll have to deliver this answer. It could be tomorrow. It could be next month. It could be next Christmas! But until that day comes, I’m going to cherish every moment while they still believe in all the magic of Christmas.
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