top of page

Our Recent Posts

Archive

Tags

Just One More Year of Magic, Please

  • Rosemarie Coppola-Baldwin
  • Dec 9, 2013
  • 3 min read

Standing on a long line while doing some Christmas shopping, my son looked over at me and asked for yet another toy. I looked at him and told him to put it on his list for Santa. As he petulantly walked away to sulk, an older woman behind me in line said to me in a not-so-subtle stage whisper, “Your son STILL believes in Santa? How old is he?”

I looked at her with a murderous expression and asked her to lower her voice – my son wasn’t the only kid there – and quietly told her “yes, he does,” as I turned my back to her loud sigh. I counted to ten as a dozen snarky responses raced through my mind but never crossed my lips. I was really aggravated.

What was bothering me so much? I couldn’t immediately put my finger on it, but I think it had something to do with the fact that my son is a nine-year-old fourth grader, and there is a small part of me that knows he probably shouldn’t believe in magic anymore – a small part of me that knows other children can be cruel and that they might make fun of him for believing in such childish fantasies. And, you know, that I’ve been lying to him for years. There’s that, too.

But I can’t bring myself to tell him the truth. He believes with such conviction, such passion, in the goodness and magic that embodies the spirit of Santa Claus.

He talks to our Elf on the Shelf with his little sister, asking for toys and requesting that the Elf makes sure to tell Santa to bring toys to other kids who may need them more than he does. He’s already collected and donated his old toys to charity in anticipation of the new ones he thinks Santa will bring.

And his entire face lights up with delight just thinking about the new NORAD tracking system that shows where Santa is on Christmas Eve. My son’s entire approach to this Season is filled with kindness and awe.

And I just can’t bring myself to destroy it. Not yet, anyway.

I know there is going to be some other child that will call the entire “Santa” thing into question. Or maybe my son will start to figure it out on his own within the next year. So is it so wrong that he has just one more year of magic to fill his days? One more Christmas of innocence and joy? I know it’s going to come crashing down on all of us when the fantasy unravels, but we’ve come this far, and I really want to believe that indulging my nine-year-old for just one more season won’t do any more damage than has already been done by having our kids believe in magical creatures in the first place.

Our kids today have to grow up so quickly. At such a young age, they are exposed to so much reality on social media and through various technological gadgets. We have to keep them safe from unseen dangers lurking online, on our streets, and in our schools. It is a harsh world out there. So can a little magic really hurt?

The realist in me knows that I probably need to give my son better tools to navigate today’s fast-paced and dangerous world. Believing in the North Pole and an army of elves probably won’t do the task.

But over the years, I’ve watched his imagination grow, and I’ve seen his belief in goodness and kindness blossom, all through the magic of the Christmas Season. And these are good qualities – qualities that will arguably help him as he faces the harsh reality of the world we live in.

It is, as we all know, a world without a “real” Santa . . . unless, of course, the emotional memories of our children allow them to continue our traditions of pure love and goodness as they grow up and have their own families.

In a way, we parents are all Santa, and a tiny bit of that childhood Christmas magic still lives in each of us. It is a beautiful gift to pass on to our children.

So, I will (selfishly) enjoy just one more year of my son’s innocent belief in a magical place that solely exists to bring joy to children all over the world. There are worse thing to believe in, I’m sure.

Wishing you all a joyous Holiday Season surrounded by family and friends, and filled with peace and happiness. – Rosemarie

* This article originally appeared on The Mommy Vortex.

Comments


bottom of page