Is there really a Santa?
As Christmas is just around the corner and Santa has infiltrated the malls, what have you told your little ones about Santa? Is he real? Is he just a symbol? I started the stories of Santa when Alex was around two years old. And boy was I creative with elaborate stories. Here is how I explained it with some snippets from my book “Sweet Pea in the Pumpkin Patch.”
"… I had an explanation for every illogical situation. Why did each mall have a Santa Claus? He cloned himself so all the children would have an opportunity with Santa. The cloning wasn’t perfect so that’s why they all looked different. How does he get into condos or places without chimneys? Magical powers allow him to shrink or vaporize so he can get through small spaces and under doors. There wasn’t an argument that I couldn’t find an answer for. Just to keep the magic.…”
My financial situation and the loss of the true meaning of Christmas dictated when to burst the bubble.
"… At seven years old, I had to break the news to Alex that Santa was a fraud. It is one of the worse heartbreaking things that you have to tell a child. Now I had to also retract my creative stories. How can he trust me after I’ve filled his head with all these lies? Since half the children at school still believed and half did not, I told Alex that he could believe whatever he wanted – after all, Christmas is a magical time. He chose to believe in Santa for a few more years.”
