As I child, I refused to believe there was no Santa! I am the oldest of three children, so I was the first to go to school and hear all the opinions on this subject. One weirdo kid proceeded to tell me that it was not true and that my parents were fibbing. But they would never—right? Either way, it worked for me! I loved Santa, and I still do today. The magic and make-believe are just a part of my childhood.
Then one Christmas, the truth was revealed by accident, quite literally. We all were sent to bed, and the strain of lying still when you were wide awake was horrible. As I was lying there, I heard a noise from the basement below. Now, knowing Santa was on the move that evening, I wasn’t very disturbed. However, I began listening closer to the thumping and bumping up the basement stairs. It was a sound that I recognized and a laughter that was all too familiar….
The next morning, under the tree sat my beautiful suitcase and train case that just so happened to be on my list. Long story short, the thumping was Mom falling up the stairs with the luggage and getting tickled at herself. I looked at her with a sheepish grin and after my siblings had left the room I said, “Fall up the stairs?” She just burst into laughter as only she can. I knew but it didn’t matter—it was all just so much fun! Did it destroy my belief in the unseen? Not for a second! I wasn’t about to miss out on keeping up the charade for my siblings.
When my twins were young, they would test Santa and ask him to bring things that were not on their list. One year they told me on Christmas Eve that they asked Santa to bring ME something special. My heart sank as they explained that they were testing Santa to see if he was real! After prying, I discovered that they had asked him for coral-colored shoes for me, since they knew I adored that color. And being the dead of winter, that color would be nowhere to be found. A pretty crafty plan for two children!
What they didn’t know was that I had purchased a pair of coral pumps a few months earlier when the summer shoes were on sale, and they were tucked away in my closet. So, I wrapped them and slipped them under the tree. The next morning, two blue-eyed little fellows were certain they had solved the mystery. The presents were opened and there was only one left. The tag read, “To: Mom, From: Santa.”
Their little mouths dropped. They brought the box to me and stood right over me while I opened it. They giggled and blushed—shocked that Santa had granted their wish! I was just relieved I had those shoes and the fun would go on another year. See, I knew good things come from shopping sales!
I look back on those days with great fondness, both my childhood and time with my boys. There is nothing like the magic of Christmas when there are children around. I wish the joy of children could be experienced by all this year. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Please share your favorite childhood memory!
