Having "The Talk" about Santa
an annual Blue Room tradition
It’s Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S., and I’m taking some downtime with family. In lieu of a new post, I’m sharing once again a “greatest hits” post from years past, which may be salient for some of you parents and caregivers anticipating “the talk” about Santa Claus.
I’ve met a few parents over the years who don’t do the Santa thing because they don't want to “lie” to their children. That stand has integrity in its own way, but it seems unnecessary to be so absolute about it. Myths are tales that give meaning and texture to our lives. As a seminary professor of mine liked to say, “Myths are truer than journalism”: that is, true in a deeper way than a mere surface recitation of facts.
Myths also bridge the gap between the world as it is and the world as we’d like it to be. In the case of Santa, the man embodies grace. As much as some of us chide our kids about lumps of coal and Santa’s naughty list—and setting aside the reality that Santa showers more gifts on wealthy homes than poorer ones—the fact is that no matter who you are or what you’ve done, you will be remembered on Christmas morning.
But if you participate in Santa, you need to be ready for some messiness later…
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Read the whole post here: