Here Comes Santa Claus...

Zed is quick to point out fake Santas.  Just yesterday she asked if she could, "go and see the fake Santa castle," that had been erected in the mall.  Sure, why not. "It's not real though Dad." No, you're right. She can be a pretty practical kid.  And then she sees a very convincing Santa riding high upon a float at the local Santa Claus Parade, and she comes undone.

This is what a little girl seeing Santa for the first time looks like...



She was calm, and as collected as you might ever imagine, but jumping out of her skin from the inside out.  It was well beyond cute.  It was...inspiring.  It was a good reminder what too many of us forget. Some things mean an awful lot to some people, even if they don't to you.

It's a wonder that anyone can conceal their excitement this time of year, but not surprising that it takes a child to make manifest the magic of the holiday.  Santa...what a paralyzing thing.  What a brilliantly good thing.  What an astonishing lesson in selflessness, and possibility, and fairness.  Not some of the kids on this planet get a visit, but rather ALL of the kids around the world earn a stop.  If you stop for just a moment to think about it, it's beautiful.  No religion, no cultural disparity, no weather or war can stop him.  Imagine if every year we could see Santa for the very first time and be consumed by his wonder.  Imagine if we just lived every day with the idea that someone loves all of us...that it was as simple as being good or bad.  I suppose that there's already an ethos or six for that kind of thinking, but somehow Santa is non-denominational.

One of my favorite stories ever is from our good friend Betz, whose daughter, just a few years ago, was waiting in line to see Santa at Macy's in Manhattan, when she was suddenly struck with the notion and subsequently concerned that Santa might know that she was Jewish.  It was sweet, and the answer was,  "of course he knows."

What if it was just that simple all the time?