Let us let the little children have the
fairies and the rest;
Let them keep the glad illusions of the
years that are the best;
Let them know the joyous fancies of the
mystic fairyland,
And the wonderful enchantments only they
can understand-
For the years are coming to them when they’ll
sigh, and softly grieve
That they left the realm of childhood and
the Land of Make-Believe.
The Land of Make-Believe and Other Christmas Poems, Wilbur Nesbit
It seems the end of the world did not
come about as predicted, so we forged ahead with the Holiday Season this year.
I feel like even though every effort is made to to keep things a low key affair,
without spending too much money on gifts and food and all the trimmings, the
general energy leading up to Christmas Day is rushed and frenetic and stressed.
Then all of a sudden, come Christmas Eve, everything just drops – the buzz
quietens down as people get on with cooking and festivities, friends and
family. And welcoming Santa Claus.
For me Christmas is really all about the
kids, and this one was the time that we had to lie outright to our 14 month old
and start the whole 'Santa is real thing'. I was conflicted – just be straight from
the start and tell him like it is? Treat him as an adult early on so he can
mature to face the world around him? Or allow his imagination to be free to believe
in the extraordinary, things not of this world? I figure the boy is only young
and he will have plenty of time to deal with reality when his buddies break it
to him in the school yard, or when he sees the gift we bought him and gets it
in his stocking the next morning. I had taken him to sit on Santa's lap and he
cried his eyes out. He will work it out in his own time that Santa is just
some strange old man who gets paid to put on a smelly suit. Let him believe in
the make-believe until that time comes.
