The older I get; the more I believe in Santa!

From the time I was a little boy Santa has held a special place in my heart.  I started looking forward to seeing Santa as early as November 1st.   Thanksgiving was a fun holiday, but what it really meant was that Santa’s visit was next up to help celebrate the most important event of any year.

It always amazed me that no matter how old I was Santa would listen to all the stuff I would ask for at Christmas time and he always made sure I got the post important things I needed.  Unlike other kids in the neighborhood, who may have gotten needed but unwanted clothes for Christmas, Santa always left me fun stuff. 

As each Christmas would come and go my visits with Santa became more important.  I knew what I had done all year would not be held against me and  that he would smile at me and give me a big hug and cheer.  He was always happy and he made me want to celebrate Christmas even if I didn’t feel like it. 

When the Thanksgiving Day parade would end Santa would be on the last float. He would smile and look at me, other kids thought he was looking at them, but I knew he was looking at me. From that point on I tried hard to stay on my good behavior, because Santa would always find out if I wasn’t. 

I always like the way Santa would hang around town between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.  He would stop by various stores to make sure I could let him know what I wanted for Christmas.

It seems that as each Christmas season ended I would think that it was the best Christmas ever. 

When I became a father I realized that Santa made Christmas even more special.  Now I could enjoy the season through the eyes of my son.  It was always fun to watch the look on his face when he saw Santa. As my sons smile filled the room it would bring smiles and laughter to all of his loved ones.  Santa always seemed to change the mood when he was around. 

If we were feeling a little down and saw Santa we would feel happy.  If we were happy and saw Santa it would make us even happier.  We weren’t the only ones that Santa had this effect on.  If we were in a room full of people and Santa came in everyone would instantly smile and then pass that smile on to their kids and friends. 

Santa even found a way into the hearts of those who had very little to share at Christmas.  It was as if even thinking about Santa brought joy to everyone’s heart.  I have been in more than one situation that a little boy or little girl would not be expecting anything from Santa.  Then I would enjoy the smile on their face when there was a gift for little Julia or little Brain from Santa.

Those kids were so happy that Santa found them. A quick look at their parents face would reveal that they were sharing in the joy that Santa brought to their family. 

When I saw the look of joy on everyone’s face I would think, it doesn’t get any better than this. It was if I had twice the joy as a parent as I had when I was a child

Now that I am a grandparent I find that Santa brings a lot more joy and happiness to me now than he did as a child or parent.  Now I get to enjoy the smiles and warmth Santa brings to kids and their parents.  It was during one of those moments of watching and enjoying the joy one someone else’s face that I fully realized that Santa lives on year to year and generation to generation.

The incident I’m referring to happened while I was watching the Littleton Christmas parade.  I saw a father holding his daughter up on his shoulders with both of them smiling away.  Just minutes before the father had related to me that he had just come off the lake from fishing to make sure his daughter would see the parade.   When he lifted his daughter on his shoulders and they stood there together to watch for Santa, I doubt he was thinking about anything else. 

The situation reminded me of my teen years when I was home for Thanksgiving and volunteered to take my younger sisters and brother to see the J. L. Hudson Parade in downtown Detroit.  It was the only Christmas Parade that I had the privilege of attending with my brother.  He died way too young, but I still remember the look on his face and the excitement we shared that day.  Santa gave me a lifetime memory and now I was seeing him do the same for grandparents, parents and kids while they were watching the parade.  

It wasn’t just during the parade that I saw the joy Santa brings to everyone; it was also evident at the Littleton United Methodist Church breakfast with Santa and the Gasburg VFD ladies auxiliary luncheon with Santa.  In both places you could find the joy and happiness that Santa creates wherever he is. I cannot think of another scene that creates such a wonderful feeling for so many people. 

An added bonus to all of this is that there are few situations in life where you can find so many kids standing in line or lining the streets to see one person and the color of their skin, the religion they practice or don’t practice; the amount of money they have or may not have has no impact on the joy that will be shared.  

I would like to say thank you Santa for continuing to remember me and allowing me to celebrate with you each Christmas. 

Maurice Emery is the Editor Emeritus of The Littleton Observer. littletonobserver.com