Yesterday, for fun, I summarized my posts and the comments made to Creighton to see what he thought. As I was blabbing away, relaying my thoughts, I realized how cerebral it all was. I'm simply putting myself through a regular exercise of stepping away from tradition to re-examine whether or not it's working for our family and our ultimate goals. After I finished my deposition on Santa, I turned to Creighton for his response. True to his simple self, he paused and said:
"I like Santa."
It made me smile. Because I like Santa too. And I decided it was time to get back to the heart of the matter.
As a child, Santa represented everything wonderful in life- a loving, fatherly figure secretly presenting me with gifts. I could say he was one of my first experiences with heaven. After all- do we not all long to return to our kind and loving Father in Heaven and his Son, who presents us with the greatest gifts of all? I love my memories of Santa, and the feelings I associated with him. Later in life, I discovered the real, overflowing source of kindness, safety and love. I could credit the symbol of Santa, in part, for helping me recognize the innate longing to have those feelings in me always. And to seek them out until I found and recognized the true source.
Symbols only have as much meaning as we attach to them. I'm sure God is pleased when we do what we can with the traditions of our various cultures to turn them into things that are virtuous, and lovely, and even praiseworthy, regardless of their origins.
That is the heart of the matter.
Of course, ultimately, Christmas has little to do with Santa or nativities, or any of the symbols we surround ourselves with at this time of the year. It is ultimately a condition of the heart.
The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of the Master...“It is a desire to sacrifice for others, to render service, and to possess a feeling of universal brotherhood. It consists of a willingness to forget what you have done for others, and to remember only what others have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and look about you for a place to sow a few seeds of happiness and go your way unobserved”
If each day dawns in opportunity and sets in achievement, however small—
then every day is Christ’s day and Christmas is always near.
--The Real Christmas, President Howard W. Hunter
p.s. I want you to know that my twins dumped 3 boxes of cereal throughout my house while I was writing this post. And stripped down to their tights. And my laundry's still sitting here in piles. And I should really be at the grocery store right now... And that is what I get for trying to write when I'm actually coherant!
p.s. I want you to know that my twins dumped 3 boxes of cereal throughout my house while I was writing this post. And stripped down to their tights. And my laundry's still sitting here in piles. And I should really be at the grocery store right now... And that is what I get for trying to write when I'm actually coherant!
3 comments:
Whew, I'm sure glad you're cerebral and not emotional about all this!
Joking aside, I love your thoughts. I've been so caught up the craziness of remodeling and one child's serious academic problems that I couldn't even muster a holiday feeling at all yet. But, I've felt the spirit reading your post and comments and have calmed down enough to be ready to spread it to my kids.
Thanks Slishy.
Wonderful thoughts again Tricia! We won't be doing Santa this year, but we told the kids that maybe it would be a good idea so that Santa could have more time to give toys to the kids that really need them instead of to us who really don't. They agreed. I am just trying to figure out if we should just tell them the truth about the whole thing or not. Your post helps me think of some more things on the matter. Thanks!
Here's my last thought on Christmas (at least for now) and Santa:
Our kids are only little once. Before we know it, the magic of Santa will be gone and then we'll probably miss it.
So while I agree about making the holidays more meaningful, spiritual, service-oriented, etc., I am going to enjoy these last few years of the magic of believing. They have the rest of their lives to be grown up and serious.
Just my opinion, of course.
Pictures are coming, I promise!
xoxo
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