BELIEVE

I'll never forget the first time my oldest daughter, Kayleigh, asked me the dreaded question, "Mommy, Is Santa Clause real?" As a parent, you want your children to believe in the magic of Christmas as long as possible. She was only 8 years old at the time and I wasn't ready to give in and tell her the whole truth. So my response was "Well, what do YOU believe?" and she went on to tell me that some kids on the bus were teasing her because she still believed in Santa and she really did! I replied with a few simple words.... "As long as you believe, the magic will always live in your heart!" It wasnt until 2 years later that she would really understand that! By the time she was 10, she was really being teased about it and a few weeks before Christmas that year I ended up buying her the book called "Santa Are You For Real". It's about a little boy who was being teased and he went and asked his father the same question. His father sits down with him and starts telling him the story of Jesus and then goes on to tell him the story of Saint Nicholas. Then it explains all about how people across the world call Saint Nicholas different names. Saint Nicholas gave gifts because Jesus came on the first Christmas to give himself for us. So this little boy gets this idea in his head that he's going to give gifts and not be found out like Nicholas did. Anyway...I had her read this story to me and then afterward she sorta smiled at me and said "So there WAS a real Santa!" With a sigh, I said yes and that we carry on his tradition by giving gifts. At the time, Kacey was only 4 and that year we did some "special" Christmas shopping. I let her be "Santa" for Kacey and she chose Kacey's presents and wrapped them all that year! I've done that every year since then. It's something Kayleigh looks forward to and she knows she plays a very special part in the "magic" of Christmas. It was also one of those moments where you have a reality smack and you know you won't have too many more years before you're asked again "Mommy, Is Santa real?" and I was right.... last year was Kacey's first time to question it. My response was the same as it was when Kayleigh asked me. She replied with "Mommy I DO believe!" and again my reply was what I had told Kayleigh several years earlier. This year I thought that she would ask again and instead she just came out with "Mommy, I believe in Santa Clause but those ones in the mall aren't real because they have fake beards!" I giggled and knew I could get out of this one really easy! I replied with "They might have fake beards but I know they are Santa's helpers and you never know when the real one is watching!" I actually saw a twinkle in her eyes.

This morning when she woke up her blood sugar was a 224 and she was grumpy....very grumpy! We were meeting my Mom for breakfast and we were already running behind. As she is sitting on my bed waiting for me to finish fixing my hair, she has this grumpy face and is holding Rufus. I looked up at her and said "You better go back to your room and leave the "grumpies" in there before we leave! You never know when Santa is watching and if he sees that you're in a bad mood then he's gonna make note of it!" She went to her room and came back out and shouted "I left the grumpies in there and I'm hungry!" (hahaha!) So we meet my Mom for breakfast and after Kacey gets something to eat, she finally has a smile on her face. I needed to pick up a few things at Walmart so we went on in. As we're standing in the card aisle, slowly a face peeks around the corner. It was one of those moments that made me gasp...gasp because what I had said to Kacey this morning....gasp because he looked so real.....gasp because it was....SANTA! A very REAL looking one....complete with a real white (not yellow-ishy) beard....white eyebrows...a real plush red suit....real black boots....real (not stuffed) plump belly....THE REAL SANTA! Kacey just stood there with her mouth open and then I tapped her as he started walking down the aisle and I whispered "I told you that you never know when he's watching!" Thankfully I had my camera and I nicely asked him if we could take a picture? He replied with "Absolutely!" He knelt down and embraced both my girls. The look of shock was still on Kacey's face as she looked at him. My Mom asked for a picture as well :) (She swears her name isn't Christine, it's ChrisKringle...haha! Christmas is her favorite day!) So Mom helped Santa to his feet and within seconds he was gone! Kacey turned to look at me and with wide eyes she says "Mommy he was the REAL Santa!" and once again I reminded her "You never know when he's watching!" As we walked through Walmart, we never saw him again. When we were walking to the car, she says to me "Mommy? Do you think Santa just came in Walmart to see me because he wasn't walking around talking to other kids?" I just smiled and said "We'll never know!" A complete stranger....dressed as the real Santa....embraced my daughter and took the time to pause for a picture....renewed her belief in Santa...and for that I say "THANK YOU, kind stranger!" Looks like we will be blessed with another year to enjoy the "magic"! My Mom with Santa