Santa Claus and Christmas

Through the Eyes of a Child

We all know we can’t go back in time.  But I’ve learned I can tap into just about any age and re-live a piece of it through a grandchild’s eyes …

I remember one year when I was feeling very low, I was given a gift.  It was a chance to re-kindle the magic and carefree anticipation of a child a few days before the most exciting day of their year --Christmas.

Robert and I had been Christmas shopping most of the day. Everywhere we went, Christmas was in our face, throngs of people crowded us no matter where we went and I was on system overload.

By the time we got home, I was melancholy, thinking about our family spread out in five different states and I missed them terribly. The holidays were here and I would miss them all the more.

Then I got a phone call from a four year-old grandson and for just a little while, I was four again, too. Christmas was only a few days away and he could hardly wait.

Please keep in mind, he was excited and he went from one thought to the next VERY FAST. I wondered if he was even breathing in between them …

(Phone ringing)

“Hello?”

“Hi Grammy! I have a question for ya!”

“Well hello, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, Grammy …What’s Santa doing now —right NOW?”

I could tell he wanted to tell me, so I asked what he thought Santa was doing. Without a second's hesitation, here's what he said:

"Well Gram, Santa is prolly practicing HO-HO-HOs, polishin’ his sleigh, and feedin’ his reindeer. I bet Rudolph is ready to lead and his nose is already shining.

The elves are prolly puttin’ toys in Santa’s red bag, and even if they get up early every day, it will still take them all the way to Christmas Eve to get all the toys in the bag! They’re prolly cleaning the workshop, too, 'cause they’ll have to start makin’ stuff for next year.

I ‘spect the elves are still findin’ wish lists from kids all over the place. You know, Gram, they’re s’posed to tell Santa if the kids were naughty – ‘cept maybe they don‘t, ‘cause it’s not nice to tattle.

Mrs. Claus is prolly cookin’ a lot, 'cause it’s not good to have a skinny Santa. Somebody might peek when he comes down the chimney! <giggle>. She's baking stuff for Santa’s trip and packin’ carrots for the reindeer in case they get hungry. Santa gets cookies and milk from kids wherever he goes, so that keeps him fat.

When Christmas Eve comes, the only stuff she has to do is have his suit clean, his boots shiny, and make Santa take a nap, so he won't be cranky on the sleigh."

I asked him, "Do you know why we give and get presents at Christmas?"

“Yeah, Grammy. It’s ‘cause God let His little boy, Jesus, get born on Christmas. That’s His birthday, but we can’t give Him birthday presents ‘cause He’s up in heaven. Then we go to church to thank God for Jesus on His birthday.”

I don’t know zactly when -- but Santa Claus got real and that’s when Jesus told him he could give His birthday presents to all the kids.”

“Santa Claus got real?  How do you know Santa Claus is real?” I asked him.

“Gram--mee, if he isn’t real, how do we write letters to him? How do we sit on his lap and talk to him? Who eats all the cookies and milk?

(A big exasperated sigh)

That’s somethin’ all kids know, Gram. (Whispered) And if you stop believin’ he’s real, he’ll stop comin’ to your house.”

(Who am I to argue the wisdom of a four-year-old?)

“Gram, you gonna come over later?”

“I sure am. Thanks for teaching me about Santa. I love you.”

“Yep. I love you, too.”

When we look at Christmas through a child‘s eyes, believing in Santa Claus is a big part of it. As long as children know the true meaning of Christmas, then a belief in Santa is harmless -- and it brings them so much joy.

Santa and the whole Christmas mystique is a huge part of childhood. Blink and it's gone … until we have a chance to revisit those days with a four-year old grandson. My melancholy mood disappeared …

Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
Quora Top Writer 2018.
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