"I Believe"

Growing up, and still to this day, one of my favorite Christmas books was “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.” This book describes the meaning of Christmas and Santa perfectly. Some might say that Santa was created as a motivation to keep young kids from getting in trouble too much out of fear of being on the Santa’s naughty list. Santa was created to remind us that, while he might not be physically real, everything he stands for is beyond real.

My favorite line from the book is: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.” Santa brings joy and hope to every existing child and thats what Santa is; he is belief, hope, joy, beauty, and so much more.

I was raised with the knowledge of what Santa really represents, all the while I still believed. I wrote letters every year, and would wake up and check under the tree several times during the night. Those letters were the joy, and me checking under the tree was the hope.

So every time I am asked the question: “Does Santa Claus really exist?,” whether it be from an adult or a child, every time I answer with: “Yes, Santa Claus does exist. He is love, joy, hope, beauty and belief. He is the belief that those emotions and feelings do exist.” These emotions certainly do exist, and their existence is a necessity within our lives to create a life of contentment.