T’was the night before Christmas, and I lay awake

Unable to sleep as I watched the cookies we had baked.

I wanted to catch Santa as he arrived by surprise,

But I’d drift off the dream land when I closed my eyes.

I would awake from a rustle or the clink of a mug,

Cookies being eaten and the milk being chugged.

I’d creep out of my bed and what did I see?

It was Santa setting gifts out under our tree.

I would stare in wonder as he worked with such care,

As if my house were the only one he’d be visiting that year.

Growing up Christmas was one of my favorite times of the year. My parents went through a great deal of trouble to make my brother and I believe in the Santa… Santa forgot his gloves one year and we had to wait until the following Christmas to give them back; we set traps for elves who would visit to put gifts in our stockings; elves forgot their hats in our house;  we found foot prints from elves walking across our table to get to treats we left out for them; and we woke up to catch Santa in our house numerous times. We looked forward to this stuff every year. (who needs Elf on a Shelf?!)

When our belief started to sway our parents devised a plan to keep us believing for a little longer. They setup a video camera while we were out to “catch Santa” and prove he was real. The video was timed so perfectly that Santa heard us about to walk in, he snapped his fingers and vanished just before we opened the door and walked into our house. When we played the video back my brother and I freaked out. “He is Real!”

When I finally stopped believing, as young as I was I realized how much our parents went through to keep my brother and I believing. I never let on that I didn’t believe anymore because I wanted my brother to keep believing for as long as I did. We all need something to believe in.

Sometimes we wholeheartedly believe in something or someone. Sometimes we hold on despite little doubts because we want to believe. Sometimes you need to give someone else something to believe in. It will lift not only their spirits, but it will lift yours as well.

As we go into Christmas, I want to send warmest wishes to you and your families. May the next couple of weeks be spent loving, laughing, and appreciating each other.

P.S. Don’t forget to leave out milk and cookies for Santa