We see the image of Santa Claus everywhere this time of year. He may even be the most famous and recognizable figure in the entire world.
Everyone from ages 1 to 92, as the song says, holds a certain belief in their hearts about Santa and what he means to the spirit and the essence of Christmas.
Whether it’s that he comes down the chimney in every house with presents, or that the simple concept of giving indiscriminately and without promise of reward is something valuable that we can all cherish in our lives all year long, this is something worth believing in.
Many of Santa’s “helpers” fan across this country and indeed in countries around the world to brighten the holidays for children and put a smile on the faces of adults, too. Who after all can resist looking into those eyes when they twinkle, or seeing those dimples so merry. That beard on his chin that is white as the snow just makes you want to be a kid again and sit on his lap, asking for who knows what to be placed under your tree.
(While we are on that famous poem, they say his belly shakes when he laughs like a bowl of jelly, but honestly, I don’t know why they gotta fat shame. It’s a stressful job, OK, Santa can’t always be on the treadmill. He has a lot of lists to check. But I digress.)
Reading the letters to Santa Claus in today’s edition is always a joy. Children ask for toys and gadgets and all kinds of wonderful things, and many of their dreams will come true on Sunday morning.
Some of them make requests that cannot help but break your heart, like one youngster who just wanted to see their grandmother be cured of cancer. It is impossible to look into that child’s eyes and know what to say, but the love in their heart is what Christmas is all about.
Every year for the last five, my good friend from childhood Angel has reposted a video of her daughter Lydia seeing Santa Claus, and it gets me every time I see it. It will continue to turn me into goo for the rest of my days.
Lydia asked for a gift or two, then Santa asked her if there was anything else she wanted. She went in and whispered that she just wanted to see her Nana again.
Santa, not wavering in his composure when many of us would have lost it right there, looked her in the eye and gave her the most unbelievable answer one could imagine.
“I tell you what we’ll do. I will send – when you need it, I don’t want to waste it – a special Nana dream. It’s a magical dream that you will have, and she will come visit you in your dream, because it’s one of those magical places where you can always meet. You will see Nana again, trust me. Because not only is she still around, but she is right here (pointing to Lydia’s heart). I love you so much, and Nana loves you so much, too.”
There are times when Christmas is overwhelming with the presents and the dinners and the parties and it seems like it will never end. There are moments no doubt where even the most fervent lover of the holiday is ready to throw their arms up and say “Is this all worth it?”
But that right there, that Santa Claus made me believe. Seeing the way he embodied the true spirit of love at Christmas makes me think that maybe it is worth it.
Merry Christmas.
Matthew Osborne is the editor of The Northeast Georgian. Reach him at 706-778-4215 or editor@TheNortheastGeorgian.com.