The Santa Clause Trajedy -PART 2 *OPINION ALERT- You'll see this when my opinion is coming.
A bit long, but PLEASE READ! (Read PART 1 first)
One year on Christmas Eve, all of us were finishing up dinner, and my cousin Scott, who is a year older that me, asked me to come see something. He led me into the garage. And to my horror...a green bag full of presents sitting in a corner. It's been a long time since I thought of this (I was probably 10-11), but I remember just staring at the bag. My mind racing to figure out what was going on. Even though the reality of the situation was staring me in the face. Remember now, I was a believer (in Santa). I don't remember what happened after that. I don't think I told anybody that we'd found the sack. I did what most of us do. I maintained the deception. After all, the adults seemed to really think it was important. I didn't want to ruin Christmas for them or for my little brother. But, I was now aware that the entire thing was a giant hoax. I suppose I had doubts previous to that, but you want to believe, and everyone else wants you to believe. The TV shows and Movies were in on it too! So I played along for the many years after that. After awhile the parents catch on that you probably know the truth, but the game went on. "Get to bed, you don't want Santa to skip our house, do you?", "Yea, yea" under my breath as I turned and headed for bed.
Is this a harmless "rite of passage" that all children should just have to learn to "deal with"?
The Message: "Sorry kids, you just need to learn that everything isn't as it seems. Some lies are OK, as long as it's a holiday tradition. (or whatever other arbitrary reason that we come up with.)
I suppose part of my childhood ended that night. I know that my "childlike faith" was dealt a devastating blow. Years later I would come to realize what else was lost on that night.
Trust.
My parents, unwittingly, damaged my trust in them and in humanity. The trust that takes years to form. Children have to trust their parents. They trust them to protect them and when they ask questions, they expect truthful answers. Parents teach their children principles to live by, and they teach them what is important in life.
Here are some of the things that I learned were "important":
1. The deception of Santa Clause was important enough to lie and deceive me my entire life. That's pretty important! They didn't realize what they were doing. I know that! But regardless, the damage was done.
2. I also learned that it's important to keep a pervasive deception going, if it makes people feel good or if it would make someone feel bad if you expose the lie.
Looking back on this, I think the greatest harm came from the damage that was done to my belief in the supernatural.
Think about it. How do you describe Santa?
1. Knows what your thinking & when your naughty and nice...omniscient 2. Can produce and carry billions of toys to billions of children at faster that light speed... omnipotent 3. Can practically be in many places at the same time. Shopping Malls? ...omnipresent. Hmmm
That's how, not too many years after that, someone was describing God to me. (all knowing, all powerful, and ever-present). I'm sure in the back of my mind, I said to myself, "I've heard this before." "The last time I placed my faith in a supernatural being, the whole thing turned out to be one giant hoax." "Why is this different?" "Sounds to me like a grown-up version of Santa Clause."
Without even realizing it, the adult world (all those who I trusted), by deceiving me into believing in Santa, had unwittingly embittered me to believing in anything supernatural!
I know Santa is harmless fun for most. But be careful how you handle this when you are parents. There is a way to "pretend" Santa and all the while your kids know it's "make believe". That's what my parents did with my other brothers and sisters as they grew up. As for me, my kid(s) will always know the truth. I will always speak the truth. It's the truth that sets us free, after all. And when my son is old enough to understand God, he will not have been burned by the deception of Santa.
Comments welcome.
One year on Christmas Eve, all of us were finishing up dinner, and my cousin Scott, who is a year older that me, asked me to come see something. He led me into the garage. And to my horror...a green bag full of presents sitting in a corner. It's been a long time since I thought of this (I was probably 10-11), but I remember just staring at the bag. My mind racing to figure out what was going on. Even though the reality of the situation was staring me in the face. Remember now, I was a believer (in Santa). I don't remember what happened after that. I don't think I told anybody that we'd found the sack. I did what most of us do. I maintained the deception. After all, the adults seemed to really think it was important. I didn't want to ruin Christmas for them or for my little brother. But, I was now aware that the entire thing was a giant hoax. I suppose I had doubts previous to that, but you want to believe, and everyone else wants you to believe. The TV shows and Movies were in on it too! So I played along for the many years after that. After awhile the parents catch on that you probably know the truth, but the game went on. "Get to bed, you don't want Santa to skip our house, do you?", "Yea, yea" under my breath as I turned and headed for bed.
Is this a harmless "rite of passage" that all children should just have to learn to "deal with"?
The Message: "Sorry kids, you just need to learn that everything isn't as it seems. Some lies are OK, as long as it's a holiday tradition. (or whatever other arbitrary reason that we come up with.)
I suppose part of my childhood ended that night. I know that my "childlike faith" was dealt a devastating blow. Years later I would come to realize what else was lost on that night.
Trust.
My parents, unwittingly, damaged my trust in them and in humanity. The trust that takes years to form. Children have to trust their parents. They trust them to protect them and when they ask questions, they expect truthful answers. Parents teach their children principles to live by, and they teach them what is important in life.
Here are some of the things that I learned were "important":
1. The deception of Santa Clause was important enough to lie and deceive me my entire life. That's pretty important! They didn't realize what they were doing. I know that! But regardless, the damage was done.
2. I also learned that it's important to keep a pervasive deception going, if it makes people feel good or if it would make someone feel bad if you expose the lie.
Looking back on this, I think the greatest harm came from the damage that was done to my belief in the supernatural.
Think about it. How do you describe Santa?
1. Knows what your thinking & when your naughty and nice...omniscient 2. Can produce and carry billions of toys to billions of children at faster that light speed... omnipotent 3. Can practically be in many places at the same time. Shopping Malls? ...omnipresent. Hmmm
That's how, not too many years after that, someone was describing God to me. (all knowing, all powerful, and ever-present). I'm sure in the back of my mind, I said to myself, "I've heard this before." "The last time I placed my faith in a supernatural being, the whole thing turned out to be one giant hoax." "Why is this different?" "Sounds to me like a grown-up version of Santa Clause."
Without even realizing it, the adult world (all those who I trusted), by deceiving me into believing in Santa, had unwittingly embittered me to believing in anything supernatural!
I know Santa is harmless fun for most. But be careful how you handle this when you are parents. There is a way to "pretend" Santa and all the while your kids know it's "make believe". That's what my parents did with my other brothers and sisters as they grew up. As for me, my kid(s) will always know the truth. I will always speak the truth. It's the truth that sets us free, after all. And when my son is old enough to understand God, he will not have been burned by the deception of Santa.
Comments welcome.