As the boys and I were decorating for the Christmas holiday Christopher ever so sweetly asked "There is no such thing as Santa, is there?" Before I could answer he added "Your the one that puts the presents under the tree." by this point (older brother) Daniel's attention has been caught and he wanted to know too. My response was a whole lot of "Well, um, well you see, no, you know" then it hit "Let me read you something that I think might help you better under stand". I told them that yesterday I was on the computer and some how I ended up on a site that a child asked her mommy the same question, I don't know how I got there but something inside of me said bookmark this you need it. As I did not have the words myself I will use the ones that mommy had for her kid to answer their question.
This letter is from Martha Brockenbrough's website The words in green are the ones I read to them, I left the red so you can see the letter as a whole.
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 don't know if he was completely satisfied with the letter, but he did like the idea of Santa being a magical emotion to experience and that he could help others experience it. Now, as for big brother, I think it ruined it for him to find out that there was not one absolute Santa. At eight he really "believed" and his five year old brother had to go and blow Santa's cover for him.
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