SANTA CLAUS

(The following was published December 2008 in the Newsleader.)

Grandpa, Grandpa, Tommy told me there wasn’t any Santa Claus. He said it was just your Mommy and Daddy. Well, I asked, what do you think? No Grandpa, I want you to tell me.

Okay jump up here and sit on my lap and let’s talk about this.

Santa is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For me He is real and always been real and I’ll tell you why I think that way. One day many years ago I asked Santa for a special person to spend my life with. Then, as if by magic, your Grandma appeared. I looked into her beautiful face and into her bright eyes and saw love, hope, and joy. I knew then for sure that Santa was real and that He would bring gifts if you just asked right.

Some time later I asked Santa for a special little person to share my life with. I told Him it didn’t matter whether it was a boy or a girl, just a special person to come into my life and bring more joy. Then again as if by magic, I looked into the gorgeous face of your mother. She was tiny and as I held her in my arms, she looked up at me and I saw Santa. I saw love, hope, and joy. I knew all over again that there was indeed a Santa and that He did indeed bring gifts to us if we just asked right.

I think you know what came next. I asked Santa for yet another special person to come into my life and share it with me. This was a few years after your mother had arrived. Well Santa didn’t disappoint me. One day I got to once again look into the beautiful face of baby girl. In that face I saw Santa. I saw love, hope, and joy in eyes that sparkled and shone. I was looking into your eyes. In fact, every time I see you, I am reminded of Santa.

You see, Santa Claus is love. He is hope and He is joy. He is the vision I see when I look at Grandma. He is as real as your Mommy. He is everywhere at the same time. He’s not just around at Christmas. Some day when you are older, you may ask Santa for a special person to share your life with. I believe if you ask right Santa will bring such a person to you as He has to me. So don’t ever let anyone tell you that Santa isn’t real. As long as there is love, hope, and joy in the world, Santa Claus will be there.

Grandpa, Christmas 2008