Hello!
After taking several months off to regroup and apply some of my own advice to my life as a mom whose children are no longer children, I'm back. And it's good to be back. Starting in January, I'll be sharing some of what I've learned from other moms like me, through reading, praying, and observing others.
But because it's Christmas, I want to spend take the opportunity to share some special Christmas thoughts and experiences I've had over the years that will hopefully remind all of us what and who Christmas is really all about. So without further ado...
For several years I had the esteemed honor of
taking Mackenzie and Macy to see Santa…the real
Santa. Seriously—this guy is the real deal right down to the long white
beard and a kind, gentle smile and personality.
The first year Mackenzie was really able to comprehend the whole concept of Santa, though, she said something while we were waiting in line, that reminded me just how important it is we don't cause Santa to give our little ones a false sense of insecurity.
What did she say that led me to think this? Mackenzie said, “Nanna, he’s going to ask Macy and I if we’ve been good, isn’t
he?”
“Yes,” I said, “he is. And when he does, you can both tell
him you are very good girls because you are two of the best girls in the whole
entire world.”
She listened to what I said, smiled and her sweet, sweet smile with
a look of relief in her eyes, hugged my leg and turned her attention back to the displays and activities meant to keep the kids occupied while they waited to meet Santa.
Mackenzie’s question wasn’t asked with a great deal of
anxiety or dread, but it bothers me that we (we, meaning society in general)
have placed the thought in our children’s minds that Santa’s goodness and generosity
is performance based. We’ve demoted Santa from the giver of love and good cheer
to one who rewards only the ‘good’.
How sad is that! What’s more, if a little child is worried
about what a stranger in a red suit and beard thinks of them, what do you think
goes through their heads and hearts when you make them feel like they’ve
disappointed you and let you down? What impression are you leaving in their
tender little hearts and impressionable little minds when you give the
impression that your love and respect have to be earned?
Our children don’t ask to be born. We make that decision for
them. So the very least we can do is to let them know they don’t have to earn
our love any more than they should have to be good in order to have a present
or two under the tree on Christmas morning.
Our wait to see Santa was relatively short and both girls
climbed up in his lap ready to tell him what they wanted. And you know what?
Santa didn’t ask if they’d been good. Instead, he smiled at the girls and said,
“I can see you are both very sweet (not good) little girls, so tell me what you’d
like for Christmas.”
See, I told you he
was the real deal.
Merry Christmas,
Momma D
Copyright 2019 Darla Noble. No part of this can be copied or used without permission from the author.
