On A Limb with Claudia

Cool kids do not like Santa.

Santa is about lying to kids. Santa is about commercialism. Santa is unrealistic - how can anyone get from one place to another in one night? Santa is against my values.Santa is going to die of heart failure. (Oh come on, you’ve heard someone blather on about this.)

I love Santa and the Santa myth. Here’s why:

• Santa is the person who pays enough attention to KNOW who has been bad and who has been good.
• Santa believes in the innate goodness of children.
• Santa gives with love and kindness exactly what a child needs.
• Santa is nature’s friend. He travels without fossil fuel.
• Santa is not prejudice. He gives to children of all race and color.
• Santa has a marvelous capacity to be friendly with creatures unlike himself. Elves work for him without complaint. Reindeer carry him around.
• Santa makes great physical, emotional and mental sacrifices to make others happy.
• Santa loves cookies and milk.

I grew up in a home where I heard on at least a weekly basis that I was evil. I was told point blank over and over again that I ruin my mother’s body, her life, and our family. (I am still told this, btw.) I can’t count the number of times I was told that my mother and sisters hated me - more times than bruises formed on my arms, legs and torso as punishment for upsetting my mother. I was too stupid to graduate from high school, too ugly to ever catch a quality husband, and too fat to succeed in life.

Santa never brought me anything I wanted. I mean, I did get a used electric toothbrush, underwear, second hand dolls, torn dresses, stuff like that.

My sister’s received whatever their hearts desired.

But I knew the truth. My heart desired something that money couldn’t buy. I wanted to be loved. I just had to wait and love would find me. (My sisters mocked me openly for this: ‘who is ever going to love you?’)

I believed in Santa even after I was told that Santa didn’t exist. I’d squint my eyes and think, ‘Santa does exist! You just don’t know.’

And today, all these years later, I know that Santa exists.

What’s my evidence?

I see people everywhere stretch to give their families what they want or need. I watch parents pick up and kiss a screaming child. I see friends smile, laugh and give to each other over and over again. I watch people work to overcome their prejudice.

More than anything, I am loved by someone who knows that I am good, likes cookies (Snicker Doodles to be exact), is kind to children, fights against his aculturated prejudice, makes mental, physical and emotional sacrifices to others happy, and believes in the innate goodness of people. If you met him, you’d like him because everyone (except for one guy in Jr. High) loves D.

I married Santa!

Every time someone says that they love me (and I get that a lot), I know that Santa exists. And I am loved by so many people and creatures. I’ve received thousand fold what I wanted as a child.

Thanks Santa.

Filed under: Going out on a limb, Thoughts on being human....