What If Santa Was Real?

I was a Catholic school boy in 4th grade. (I was a good boy, too, my mom always says.) That's when it happened. I heard my classmates talking about how Santa wasn't real. "No," I thought. "It couldn't be?" I was devastated. I didn't say a word until I got home. That's when my mom took me in my bedroom, shut the door and began to explain. I was sad. But I got over it.

And I was thinking the other day about my mom and how hard that conversation must have been. I'll bet she wished she could have said the opposite, that the kids on the playground were wrong. And I would have believed her. I would have believed my mom if she said, "Michael, Santa is real."

And would it really be so bad if he was? And wouldn't it mean more happiness and goodness and giving and faith and love and sacrifice and care and kindness and hope? That's what Santa stands for. Aren't we a little short on those things these days?

Truth be told "Santa" did actually exist as a person (Saint Nicholas) long ago and is known for doing some of the things associated with present-day tradition.

No, I don't think it would be such a bad thing if Santa was real. Ho ho ho. :)

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