Do you believe in Santa Claus?

I did when I was a kid. My brother and I never failed to receive gifts from Santa as we woke up on Christmas Day. My single Mom would tell us Santa came at Christmas midnight to deliver our gifts. Then we would thank Baby Jesus and Santa as we went to Mass on Christmas day.

My brother and I believed in Santa....until about we were in early teens. One Christmas eve we accidentally came across our gifts from Santa before sleeping, unwrapped. My Mother tried to explain that perhaps Santa came early and in a hurry. Then I began to remember what other children of my age were saying... that Santa is really our parents in disguise, and all the gifts we received from him came really from my mother.

But we continued the tradition when we have children of our own. Our children always received their gifts from Santa as they woke up on Christmas Day. Santa's gifts were in addition to their Christmas gifts from Mom and Dad. So they were so happy and really believed in Santa.

Until when the children were in their early teens, too. I suspected that our eldest, Michie, knew something about Santa. So I asked her what she knew. She politely told me she and her siblings knew that Santa is really Mom and Dad in disguise. But they decided to kept silent about it.... so that they continue to receive so many gifts on Christmas Day. Our kids outsmarted us... ha ha ha.....

But Santa is real.... in every one of us with a kind heart for others, especially during this Christmas Season.

Thank you, Santa Claus.

Thank You, Lord for Christmas.