Nicholas: Holding Christmas in Your Heart

What can you learn from the real Santa?

Our Guest Blogger today is: St Nicholas and Mrs. Claus

A pillow, a blanket, a bed of my own, for our Daddy to not have cancer any more. When St Nicholas saw a need – not all were joyful. Just as the old man who dreaded what would happen to his daughters when he died. This chapter asks how we can keep the “spirit of the season” alive in our hearts all year.

Why do we make this time of year extra special for helping and giving and then let things fade away as the months go by?  St Nicholas lived in this spirit all year, every day. He would help and do kind things not just during the Christmas season, but all the months of the year.

As we end this season of wearing our red suits and white hair, we have reflected on this chapter quite a bit since receiving this book – we've realized that we don’t need the outer layers to do kind things for others. We just need what’s in our hearts to help when we see or hear of someone in need. This can be done every day by sharing a smile, giving a hug, sending a card, preparing a meal, anything great or small that might make a difference to someone. As stated above, the smallest of gestures can help – a pillow, a blanket. And then maybe during the season of Advent we should rejoice in knowing we have carried the spirit of the season with us all year long. Blessings to everyone.   

Son: "Dad, I think I'm old enough now. Is there a Santa Claus?."

Dad: "Ok, I agree that your old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the truth is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you can't unknow it. Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do now. So my question is: Are you sure you want to know?"

Brief pause: Son: "Yes, I want to know"

Dad: "Ok, I'll tell you: Yes there is a Santa Claus"

Son: "Really?"

Dad: Yes, really, but he's not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That's just what we tell kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way that they can understand. The truth about Santa Claus is that he's not a person at all; he's an idea. Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years. I actually bought those myself. I watched you open them. And did it bother me that you didn't thank me? Of course not! In fact it gave me great pleasure. You see, Santa Claus is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or acknowledgement. When I saw that Women collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she'd never know that it was me that summoned the ambulance. I was being Santa Claus when I did that."

Son: "Oh."

Dad: "So now that you know, you're part of it. You have to be Santa Claus too now. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them, and most important, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?"