Love, Santa

Santa knows everyone needs love

Patti here, I am going to go out on a limb here and talk about Santa. Not because I think everyone should celebrate Christmas or because they ought to believe like I do, but rather because I think Santa is pretty darn cool. He’s a big jolly fellow who enjoys his cookies like the rest of us; but more than that, he is compassionate, kind, and loving. He goes to great lengths to show how he feels. He’s wise enough to know that everyone needs love and sometimes, due to the circumstances of our lives, it might take a little magic for us to believe in that love. And so, he opens a portal for us to feel that magic. 

 

Pretty much anyone can tell you I am a diehard believer in Santa. I truly believe that it’s important for children to believe in magic, and to believe in a world where remarkable things, things beyond their ken, can happen and just might happen to them. When my kids were young I hoped that believing in Santa would let them experience some of the magic of the world that I couldn’t be sure they would experience any other way. I didn’t fear of the moment when they lost that belief. I knew, even with the pain of the loss, Santa would open my children’s hearts to the power of love. I knew too that when the feeling of magic is involved, Santa’s true lessons would live long past my child’s belief in his human form. They would always know what it feels like to feel his love.

 

Wonder’s hidden gift is resilience.

When our hearts open to magic, the world changes. Ordinary moments offer glimpses of the luminous, the numinous, the world behind the world. The world where anything is possible. We experience the wonder that exists within every instant, but is often clouded by the struggles of living in an imperfect world. With our sense of wonder intact, the struggles of day-to-day life become more tolerable. 

 

Wonder’s hidden gift is resilience. Wonder provides armor against the pain of cynicism that is so rampant in our world today. Wonder opens our hearts and helps us feel connected.

 

So while some argue against the commercial aspects of Santa, I choose instead to focus on the intangible gifts that believing in Santa can bring. As a parent, I wanted my kids to grow up humane and strong. I think Santa teaches both of these traits. Waiting for Santa to come helps children develop patience and patience leads to strength. Santa knows what each person needs and desires. This kind of vision offers another kind of strength, for if we don’t keep our eyes on what we really want, how can we persevere when the going gets hard? And if we give up when life challenges us, it’s impossible to build a life congruent with our heart’s desires.

 

Santa also teaches kindness. He loves all children all across the world, regardless of circumstance. He knows when things have been difficult and offers his love when life feels like a struggle. His message often gets confused because of his gift-giving habits, but that is just a tangible representation of what he is really offering. Santa offers care and kindness and the knowledge that everything will be alright when we have the patience to see things through. And most importantly, I think that Santa helps us to believe that a better world is possible. And isn’t that what we all really need?

Santa helps us to believe that a better world is possible

As we head into the heart of the holiday season, we at The Seven Tools wish you all the gifts Santa has to offer. We hope you take time to feel the magic yourself, however you are able to connect to it. Whatever holiday you celebrate and whether you find yourself in feelings of happiness or sadness, know that you are loved. 

 

Let the darkness of this time cradle you as we all journey back towards the light again. We hope you can find a few moments to sit in the dark, perhaps by the light of a Christmas tree or in the glow of a candle, and feel the magic this season has to offer. The magic of Santa lives in each of us. 

 

PS I love the video below for many reasons but especially because it shows how the spirit of Santa has evolved as we, as a species, evolve and get more conscious.