(no subject)

[weaktwos]

I overheard a proud Parent in the cafeteria talking about how she and her husband put on a whole production to fool the child into hearing Santa coming to their house. Her husband was outside with sleigh-like bells. The child of course believed all of it, and even thinks he saw santa’s silhouette outside of his window. The child was filled with wonder and amazement.

Part of me thinks it is cute. However, I remember feeling rather bummed that Santa wasn’t real when I finally became old enough. I felt badly for my parents, for I made them cookies, etc., and they weren’t always in the mood to eat them. And hell, I wasn’t the best of cooks then, anyway.

In retrospect, I don’t think I would have wanted to be mislead into believing that entities like the tooth fairy existed, or Santa Claus. Yeah, I’m being a bit of a party pooper, but finding out the truth later on detracts from memories. Now you experience something once, but memories last until you get Alzheimer’s.

What do you folks think?

Comments

[reannon.livejournal.com]

I figured out that Santa wasn't real when I was about nine years old and found my parents' present list, hidden in the piano bench. I was bummed, but not so much about Santa. Now I knew everything I was getting for Christmas. Santa not being real wasn't that much of a surprise, but I realized that the fun of Christmas was the excitement, the anticipation. It was like knowing the end of the story. No fun.

So I decided to assist my parents in making my little sister believe in Santa Claus. Watching her believe, watching her excitement, was almost as much fun as when I believed. And I never went looking for my parents' secret list again.

Now, I help the Kiddo believe in Santa. I tell him Santa stories, we leave out cookies and fudge, plus reindeer food - oatmeal with a dash of glitter ("magic") in it, in a bowl on the front porch. After he goes to sleep, I take a bite out of each cookie and scatter the reindeer food around as though animals had been at it.

Watching the Kiddo's apoplectic excitement - "Santa was here! Santa ate the cookies! Mommy Mommy Mommy lookit the reindeer food!" - was MORE fun than when I believed. You lose that innocence, but you regain it with your own children. It's life's compensation for growing up.