Publisher’s Points to Ponder: A “Colonial” Christmas

Although I do not celebrate Christmas now, I do have delightful memories of the Christmas celebrations I experienced as a child. I believed in Santa until I was nine years old. However, I never fully understood why a white man with a gray beard would break into my house to leave gifts for me. I wanted answers. How did he know me? Did my mother pay him for the gifts? Why didn’t he bring me everything on my list? Well, I did what any curious nine-year-old would do; I went on a journey to discover Santa.

All five of my brothers and all three of my sisters confirmed that Santa really does exist. They told me Santa could look in on all the kids on his list. They also said that they submitted my name for being good, but he would put pepper in my eyes and leave sticks in my stocking if I were too bad. Years later, I had this same conversation with my “wasband,” who thought the same thing as a child. He and I shared the belief that Santa was mean. At nine years old, I was afraid of him. Okay, I may have been scared because I was terrible at times. But what kind of person puts pepper into a child’s eyes?

I finally asked my mother to be truthful with me and tell me if Santa really does exist. She asked me, “Do you believe he exists? He exists if you believe that he does,” she said. I walked away, pondering on my mother’s reply. I did not want to respond in any way that would affect my chances of getting everything on my list that year.

Later, during Christmas week, I hid in my brother’s closet to eavesdrop on him and his friends. Guess what I stepped on? A colonial dollhouse that was just like the one on my list was lying beneath my feet. Why was it there? Did Santa come early? I didn’t say a word. When I woke up on Christmas morning, I saw my dollhouse sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the Christmas chaos. I gave my mother the biggest hug and thanked her for sending Santa my way. The answer to Santa’s existence was tucked in the crevasses of my heart all along. I’ve concluded that Santa’s spirit does exist, and it manifests through the people we are connected to in life.

Do you believe he exists?