Do you?

Do you?

“Do you believe in Santa?” Second grade and I’d heard from some other kids Santa was fake. Being pretty shy, I didn’t join the conversation but I listened.

“There’s no such thing! It’s just what your parents say to make you mind. ‘Santa won’t bring you presents if you don’t stop being mean!’ and crap like that.”

“No! Santa is real!” said Jean.

“Oh yeah, he flies around being pulled by flying reindeer? Reindeer don’t fly you know,” Alex insisted.

“It’s magic!”

“And he goes all over the world in one night. ONE night! We went to Spain once, and it took hours and hours, but he does the whole world in one night? Come on!”

“That’s magic too. Santa is magic!” Jean was holding her ground. But I could tell she was worried.

Suddenly John decided to cut in. “Do you believe in Santa?” he asked, looking right at Jean.

Jean looked troubled. I could understand, Alex would tease her mercifully if she said yes, but you could tell she wanted to.

“Well,” John continued, “I do. And you know why? Because you get better presents if you believe. And it makes your parents happy, and then they get you more presents too! Everybody in my family gets lots of fun presents because of Santa. That’s what I think. What do you want to get for Christmas Alex?”

Taken aback Alex didn’t say anything.

“Come on Alex! What are you hoping you get for Christmas?” John persisted.

“Ah… new ice skates… my old ones are a little too small…” Alex almost whispered.

“Well, I hope Santa heard that,” said John “And I hope you get them!”

I remembered that conversation for the rest of my life. And so did Alex, especially when he got new skates, without even asking!