Santa and Superheroes

I tend to get nostalgic when I think about children. Not because I don’t want them or can’t wait to have them, but because there is a distinct difference between children and adults. We are no longer those cute little five year olds at the department store on Christmas Eve, so ecstatic about Santa’s soon arrival that we tell a random employee all about the elf, who visits us every day to make sure we’re being good, and the Santa Tracker our dad put on his phone (I was the random employee, and boy did it make my Christmas that much more merry). We’ve morphed into worn out adults who anxiously await the New Year simply because we’ll be getting our tax returns soon. What happened in between those two people?

When our dad was superman. Even if he wasn’t around, we secretly dreamt of him being incognito like Clark Kent, hoping that the one night we really needed him, he’d come to our rescue. But he never came. Is that the night our lives drastically changed? When we realized our parents weren’t superheroes and Santa wasn’t real? There was an innocence lost in that moment. Instead of simply realizing the truth of the matter, we questioned truth itself. If our parents weren’t superheroes and Santa wasn’t real… then what could save us and make us happy? And more importantly, whom could we trust? Not only were our parents counterfeit superheroes, but they lied to us about Santa! Could we trust anything that came out of their mouths? Well we chose not to. We lost all faith in our parents, and many of us have yet to rebuild that trust. Whether it’s our parents fault or our own, that trust has remained a lump of coal to be given out every Christmas morning. 

I hated the holidays for several years. There was too much fighting, far too many awkward “catching up” conversations, and although the food was always delicious and the gifts always special, it wasn’t enough. I discovered at a young age that the holiday season isn’t about the nice decorations and extra trimmings, it’s about taking a month and a half or so (Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve) and spending that precious time with those precious to us. And I think if we all stop for just a few minutes and be honest (even if it’s only with ourselves), that’s all we’ve ever wanted-to spend time with those we love. Those are the moments we never forget. So on this late Christmas Eve night/early Christmas morning (yes, I am waiting for Santa), I leave with this: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, and any other holiday that is celebrated during this time, aren’t about the rituals and traditions, they’re about laughing, singing, dancing, sharing moments with our loved ones and rebuilding the trust that was broken all those years back. 

Merry Christmas.