Happy Hump Day! I’m getting close to putting a bow on this site and wrapping it up for the Holidays, or at least, until after Christmas. There may be one more health policy post to get out before a brief hiatus. In the meantime, the festive part of the season is slowly ingulfing me, so today’s post is fun and meaningful (I think).

My kids are grown but Santa Claus is a fixture in our tradition. We never forget to watch special shows like Miracle on 34th Street and Santa Claus is Coming to Town (with Fred Astaire as the narrator). And of course, Rudolph is a must!

My kids believed in Santa, and still do. They are in their 30s now and yet, Santa for them still exists. He’s real and he continues to have a super purpose in the lives of many, many people. When I saw this little bit (or my wife did) on Facebook, I knew it was worth sharing. Enjoy! And Happy Yuletide Hump Day!

ATTENTION TO ALL PARENTS THAT NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA!

Son: “Dad, I think I’m old enough now. Is there a Santa Claus?”

Dad: “Ok, I agree that you are 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. Are you sure you want to know?”

Son: (after a pause) “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 think of 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 the woman 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 a 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?”

Help each other this Christmas, and … be kind!