Just Believe

 

There comes a time in every child's life when he will question the existence of Santa Claus. It symbolizes so much - the end of innocence most notably. I was twelve when I finally figured out the truth, which I admit was ridiculously old. I've always been the gullible type. Mason, our little scientist in the making, questions things much more than I ever did so I'm not surprised that he would question this sooner than I did. Yet here I am, realizing my little boy is not so little anymore. If I'm being truly honest, I was not mentally prepared for these questions already this year.

The Questions and Answers

It started pretty innocently, Mason remarking that friends at school are saying that Santa isn't real - that it's just parents putting presents under the tree. We fended that off pretty easily, but we've been pivoting ever since.

"If Santa is real, then how come no one has ever seen him?" Well you believe in God, and you haven't seen Him, right?

"Do you believe in Santa?" Of course.

"Just tell me the truth." You can't handle the truth! Okay, that's really what I was thinking on that one, not what I said, but the answer was mostly the same as the other deflections.

Extending the Life of Santa

We're trying to squeeze one more year out of Santa. If we can just make it another week at school, I think we'll be in the clear. The biggest concern we have for admitting the truth is that Mason will ruin the surprise for Mya in a fit of sibling rage. Also, he's likely to immediately question the existence of the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny. And whether I'm really allergic to cats.

In the meantime, we've done the portablenorthpole.com email and video for Mason. (Thanks, Sally!) Even with that video, he questioned what he was seeing.  ("Why are there so many cameras at the North Pole?") We've read The Polar Express to reinforce believing. Naturally I sobbed my way through the final page of that one. Building on that story, I found two lovely gold bells to put under the tree with a note from Mr. C.

I'm not sure if we'll be able to keep the belief alive much longer after this year, but my hope is that the Christmas spirit will stay with him long into the future.