Santa Claus

I love the holidays. The snow, the carolers, the food, the presents, shopping for the presents ... from the snowy bucolic bliss of the Dickensian vision to the bustle and chaos of the modern shopping mall and the flurry of wasted paper that fills the living room after presents. I just love the whole thing!

I've discovered that my favorite part—and one of my favorite hats to wear as a mom—is playing Santa! I got to match wits agains the retailers this year, when a toy I had set my heart on getting for the boys turned out to be sold out by December 1st, leading to a late-night journey hunting for it. (Found a crumpled version buried in the toy section at Walmart, then three pristine versions stuck on a ceiling-high overstock shelf back in the boys' clothes section. Felt a glow of accomplishment!)

A couple of years ago, I read a debate on Babycenter about Santa and what to tell your kids, and was completely startled by the concept of Santa Claus as a "lie". There are people who actually think that in teaching your child to believe in Santa, you're lying! I just can't imagine being that literal-minded. I mean, all fiction, all fantasy, all mythology ... it's all lies, if you must look at it that way. But without it, where are we? And Santa particularly is a magical part of a magical time of year. He's not all about the presents—he's about the snow, and the reindeer, and the silvery sound of bells on a moonlit night. I absolutely believe in Santa Claus, even more so now that I am one of the legions of Santas out there! And I can't wait until my kids are old enough to feel the same breathless anticipation and joy at the holiday season—and his imminent arrival—that I do!