Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Spirit of Santa

(note, I meant to publish this but kept waiting to take pics of the girls with the trees, but to date I haven't yet done that so I am going to post it without pics, sorry!!)

Parents, make sure the kiddo's are out of the room. Kids...if you are reading this, STOP NOW!!

Are we clear now? Good

Someone put as their Facebook status: "When did you find out about Santa?" That has had me thinking a lot lately. I am going to have to explain it to my girls eventually, I know one of my co-workers has had to face that question from her oldest this year.



I was 11 or 12 I think. I remember where we were, I remember what we were doing, and I mostly remember the conversation mom had with me. Now mind you it was not quite 15 years ago...so I don't remember everything she said, but I remember the message.

We were driving home from somewhere and it wasn't school time because I was not in my uniform plus my brother and I would walk home from school. I was in the front seat of the car next to mom, my brother in the backseat directly behind her. We were in her Cherry Red 1989 Honda Accord LXI. We were coming down the hill to our house What I don't remember is if we still lived there or if we were driving past it to look in on it before we sold it. I loved that house and wish it were mine even now (especially now) Remind me to tell you about that house....and I said to mom the dreaded question "Is Santa real?"

She had the best answer. It was somethign along the lines of this:

"Well, No. There is no one person who is Santa, that's just a nice story we tell to children. But you know about St. Nicolas (we DID go to Catholic school after all) and how he gave gifts to children. Well, he is part of the inspiration for Santa Clause. What I believe, and think is more important, is that while there's no "real" Santa, we all have the spirit of Santa in us and it's our job to use that to help others out and to give to those we love, and those who are less fortunite than us. It is our responsibility to keep the spirit of Santa alive year round, and give without expectations of thanks or reciprication. It is also our privelidge to keep the magic of Santa alive for the younger children. This world can't ever have too much joy, too much excitement, too much hope or too much sefless giving. Santa is the perfect character (find better word....) for that."

( I just called mom to see if she remembered what she told me and she didn't so I told her what I remembered and she said "Wow, I was GOOD!" and Dad who was on the line too said "I would have said "hohoho, don't you belive in me?" My brother vaugly remembers having some kid at school tell him and then confirming it in the Honda on the way home, but thats all he remembers.)

I know I was quite old to finally know. I think I wanted to believe, and so I did.

How about you? How/when did you find out?

Now in the Spirit of Santa, I am going to give some (at the time unknown) goodies away. I will draw winners before I leave on my trip to visit my family and try to pick up a thing or two out there. So basically I will pick a winner on the 7th, and be sending whatever out when I get back 10ish days later. Fair? To enter answer the question above, or tell me another GREAT holiday story. Good Luck! And of course Happy and safe holidays to you all!!

4 comments:

Thearica said...

My older sister and I both found out at the same time, when we were 7 and 8ish...We caught mother taking boots and dipping them in the ashes and making footprints from the fireplace to the tree...We always let the fire go out on Christmas Eve so Santa wouldn't burn his bottom when he came down the chimney...Looks like it was mother's bottom we should have been worried about. LOL

a good yarn said...

What! Santa isn't real?! You're kidding right?! Didn't you see him in the mall? I did and I said hello. Asked him if he got my list. He said yes but was I sure I had been a good girl all year. Drats! How does he find out about this stuff? I'm not sure I believe you. He's certainly real to me and he leaves me a present under the tree each year.

Ruth said...

My cousin told me when I was about 8 years old. When she explained it to me, it did make sense - since we didn't have a fire place!

Vanessa said...

I can't remember when I found out - I remember for a long time pretending I thought he was real! My parents weren't good at hiding things - they'd be in their bedroom wrapping our presents and putting them under the tree before we were asleep, so we could hear them; and also, the treats I'd put out for Santa and the reindeers were also mysteriously back in the fridge the next day!