Do You Believe in Magic?

I have written before about the awesome responsibility that I have recently realized that I have taken on as a parent. With Christmas coming, I realize that I must now play Santa. Not the real Santa, because we all know that Santa isn't real. ( and I AM SO SORRY if you are hearing this now, I didn't mean to burst your bubble )
Santa isn't real, but if you've watched ANY Christmas movie about believing in Santa, you will hear that "seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing"
So, to those naysayers, Santa exists in the hearts of those who believe. I believed in Santa until I was about 8  or 9. I found my toys from Santa in the basement one year. I got the pink and red Barbie doll from Santa and figured out that it was my parents because I had found it in the basement earlier in the month. I wasn't broken hearted, and it didn't crush me. I just kept the illusion to my parents that I believed in Santa. Until I became a snotty teenager who was too good for Santa, that is. Sorry Mom. :)
But now... I Am Santa?! AND The Easter Bunny AND the Tooth Fairy, and every imaginary creature that sneaks into your home to leave you something. Wow. That's a heavy load to shoulder. I get to determine the way my kids interpret Santa Claus, and the others, based on what we do for them and how we approach it. So far, we have visited Santa every year and the kids have told him what they want. This year Ellie is four. She actually gets that the man in the red suit drives a sleigh with reindeer and brings presents to you based on a naughty and nice list. He comes down your chimney ( and if you don't have one, uses magic to make one ) and he eats your milk and cookies.
Last night she was making a trap for Santa. To catch him when he comes to the house. I told her she has a while to wait for that. It was quite funny, though.
I hope my kids continue to believe in Santa for a long time. If not for their own sake, or mine, at least for some day when they have kids of their own.

I recently came across this letter that has been floating around Pinterest. It's written by another mom. It was pretty much how I was feeling about the situation.

Dear Lucy,

Thank you for your letter. You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”

I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.

The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.

I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)

I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.

This won’t make you Santa, though.

Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.

It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.

Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.

With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.

So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.

I love you and I always will.

Mama

I really enjoyed this. I agree. I'm not really Santa. Santa is an idea and exists in the hearts of those who choose to keep that spirit alive.
It's the belief in magic and whimsy and all things we can't see or touch. Right now my kids believe in fairies. I love this. I think seeing things through a child's eyes also makes me want to, and truly get excited about them believing in these things.
When my kids ask if there's Santa, I am going to RUN To my computer and pull up this blog, or my Pinterest page, or my facebook page and read it to them. Maybe I should just print it and them put it up for safe keeping. Yeah, that's a much better idea. :)