Remember that letter that got passed around everywhere when we were kids?
An 8-year-old girl wrote a letter in 1897 to the editor of The New York Sun newspaper. "Is there a Santa Claus? Papa said to write to you and you'd tell me the truth."
But he doesn't. He says, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus...." Without Santa, the world, he said, would be a "very dreary place." Without Santa Claus, there would be no childlike faith, no poetry, he claims. ("Why you might as well not believe in fairies!")
As one who does not believe in fairies, I think that when a child is old enough to ask, it's time to tell the truth--that her presents came, after all, from the people who love her, not from a man in a red suit and beard. So "childlike faith" takes a hit. Is it not worth it if she knows--along with the winking adults who know--that there's no man watching her every move and tallying up her naughties and nices?
Since I stopped believing, the world has not been dreary--quite the contrary. Mr. Editor cautions Virginia not to listen to the skeptics. Our teachers reinforced that when they kept reading Mr. Editor's letter to us long after we knew the source of Christmas-morning gifts. What if, instead, they had encouraged us to give credit where credit is due, to our parents? What if they had acknowledged that not all children were so fortunate, that those who didn't receive dolls and trains and cowboy suits from Santa were not naughty?
Do we really need an imaginary benefactor to give us "childlike faith"? Isn't the mystery of life enough its own self, not to mention the good fortune of having parents and grandparents and friends whose gifts add to our happiness?
1 comment:
Give credit where credit is due! Yes. My favorite line. Is the Santa myth where we got messed up about being able to gracefully accept acknowledgment? It's OK to acknowledge our accomplishments. "Oh it was nothing" and false modesty make me nuts. Maybe if we were taught to develop a spirit of gratefulness for those who offer good gifts and achievements we would all benefit from the honest self-esteem that comes for recognition. Lots to ponder here Linda! Thanks for the post!
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