Santa is Alive and Well

 Santa doesn’t have anything to do with the Christmas narrative and Angels, but I’ll never giving up on Santa.  I told my wife as we were out shopping that we need a Santa sitting in a lounge chair as if he’s reclining on a beach.  I told her he needs a red Speedo.  She hastily replied she’d never own a Santa in a red Speedo!  That seems to be an ongoing gag about Santa.  

But in shopping for our Christmas decorative items, we bought Angels and a nutcracker that all require batteries and light up.  No Santa this year.  But she says by far her best Christmas gift is a hand painted Santa I bought her a number of Christmases ago.  He’s the first Christmas item we unpack every Christmas.  But we have a lot of Angels and this year we added the nutcracker to our nutcracker collection.  

It might seem odd that our Christmas decorations include both the secular and religious, but I’m willing to keep Santa alive, who is myth, with angels and churches and the Holy Family.  I just never outgrew my appreciation for Santa at Christmas.  It’s all about the season and in my thinking the season is as much about Peace as it about the gifts.  People in general seem to be more kind during the holidays, but in some ways I could say Christmas is every day.  Santa is the grand father figure every family would accept as a member.  Santa reminds me to be like him every day of the year.  

But sometimes I forget and I’m that grumpy old man I swore I’d never be, but I’m reminded quite often I’m not a Santa.  But Santa has all the qualities a grown man can aspire to have.  We don’t have grandchildren, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be like an elderly old man who wants to be like Santa every day.  Are there ever any images of a grumpy Santa?  I tend to think not.  

So, in my thinking maybe Santa is simply a grown up Jesus with his white beard.  And to suggest this is sacrilege to equate Santa with Jesus in the thinking of some.  But if Santa were a real person I would love to know he exists.  Maybe the letter to Virginia wasn’t lying.  There are Santa’s everywhere, but they’re just not known as Saint Nick, but go by many names.  At least I want to think so.  The world simply can’t have too many Santa’s.  I think it’s why I smoke a pipe.  Many pipe smokers are known to be kind.  At least I want to think so.  I’ll do my part or at least try.  Today it is my Savinelli birthday pipe with Cinnamon Cavendish and my coffee this morning is Blue Bottle coffee. Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave