I Believe

This evening my niece Abbie posted about buying a present for her daughter Pippin from Santa Clause. I simply replied I believe in Magic and Santa Clause.

I can still remember the magic of Christmas. My mom would make sure we sat on Santa Clause’s lap and had our yearly talk about being a good girl. Some years it was a question if I was going to get a lump of coal or that special present I asked for. Decorating the tree and singing Christmas carols, daddy driving us around to look at the lights, putting milk and cookies out for Santa and an apple for Rudolf made the magic of Christmas come alive every year. Waking up to presents under the tree always filled my little girl heart up with joy. Yes, I believed in Santa Clause and still do.

As I grew older I learned that there was another reason we celebrated Christmas and his name was Jesus. Once again, my parents brought the reason for the season alive. The magic of the birth of Jesus will forever be etched upon my heart. Going to church on Christmas Eve and hearing every year that on this night Jesus was born and the shepherds, the little drummer boy and the wise man gathered at the stable while angels sang songs of great tidings that Jesus was born filled my heart with great joy.

I believed and still do that somehow this was possible.

One day someone told me that there really wasn’t a Santa. How could this be I wondered? Try as they did no one ever convinced me that Santa wasn’t real. At the age of 65 I still believe that somehow Santa Clause and his elves make the magic of Christmas happen. Perhaps my parents were one of his elves all along, charged with the job of helping me believe in magic. When I was a parent I too was charged with the responsibility to help my children believe in magic, Santa Clause was one way I did this. 

Job well done mom and dad because I still believe in the magic.

As I grew older I found out that Jesus might not have been born in a stable and the shepherds and wise men never gathered round his manger, and there was never a drummer boy with his gift of music. I also found out that this beautiful baby grew up and was crucified and he died.

Then they told me not to be sad because three days later he rose from the dead. Where was the magic of his birth what to believe I asked myself?

Then I remembered my parents singing Silent Night, Oh Holy Night as they held their candles and my sister Debbie helping me hold my candle as we all sang and the magic of that night that Jesus was born is etched upon my heart. As a child I believed and still do that somehow Jesus was born and yes he was crucified, but he rose again. I believe in the angels who sang great tidings of joy.

I believe because my parents taught me about the magic of Christmas and Santa Clause also taught me about the birth of Jesus and this will live on in my heart forever.

I believe! 

On this Christmas Eve I invite you to believe with me. Believe in the wonderment and magic of the season and perhaps create this experience of love and good will to all in some way everyday of your life.

Be it because of Santa or Jesus, around the world, on this night, people will gather together and they will create magic and wonderment. Tonight, little boys and girls everywhere will believe that there is a Santa and perhaps, just perhaps they will grow up to believe in wonderment and magic as I still do.

Tonight, a little girl will stand with her family and sing Silent Night Oh Holy Night and be in awe of the beauty and wonderment that is all around her. Perhaps she will grow up to be a woman who believes in the magic and the mystery of this night as I still do.

I believe!

Blessings, Katye Anna