Anytime I can share myself with you, my soul sings a little louder and shines a little brighter. So today, as we await the arrival of Santa Claus, I wanted to share a few things with you, my Christmas gift to us all: a reminder of sorts. The first is who our modern-day Santa Claus is, the second is something I wrote that is very fitting for this time of year, and the third is something Jesus wanted us all to know about the child in us all.
To begin, our current day Santa Claus is the merging of Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas. Saint Nicholas or Sinter Klaas, as the Dutch call him, which is short for Sint Nikolass, was a monk born in 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. It is said that he gave away all his worldly possessions and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. Some in this world celebrate him with gift giving on the anniversary of his death December 6th. Father Christmas was alive in 16th Century Britain under the reign of Henry VIII. He is said to be the emblem of good cheer and is the bringer of peace, joy, good food and wine. I ask you, what is not to love about this merging? I for one am glad that the embodiment of these men by others over generations and centuries keeps many in this world believing in Christmas miracles. So today, if you are anticipating as I am, the arrival of Santa Claus, Christkind, Kris Kringle, Jultomten, Pere Noel, or whatever you may call them in your part of the world, remember to keep love in your heart and enjoy the feeling of gift giving. For me, my heart sings with this gift from me to you:
How Come They Only Come When I Dream
When I was young and lost a tooth
Under the pillow it went
As I slept the fairy would come
A wave of the wand
The tooth would be gone
Replaced with money to be spent
Then each year as Easter arrived
Eggs would be boiled and colored
Then put up for me to eat
Again as I slept
The bunny hopped by
And left a box full of treats
I can't forget the jolly old elf
Who came each year dressed in red
Delivering toys he said I deserved
But only if I promised to sleep
Every year I'd awake to find what I wanted
Every year my belief in him was preserved
Try as I might to meet and greet them
Were they real? I wanted to know
There was something about them not what it seemed
That always perplexed me
And I could never figure it out
How come they only come when I dream??
Never was I able to catch them
In their often most generous acts
But I learned as I grew a thing or two
About whom all of them were
Now I pass forward that which I've learned
And my belief in them grows stronger too
So the next time anyone tells you
That they won't come unless you sleep
Hop in your bed, lay down your head
And of them continue to dream
When you awake I'm sure you will find
Generosity's spirits not dead.
by
Laura Standrwicz
c: January 2010
Once Santa is home and resting after a long night of work, many of us will awake to open our gifts and to celebrate the birth of Jesus. When I think about this combination, I think of something Jesus said and am told in St Matthew 18: 4-5 “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.” I hope this day reminds us all of innocent times and brings out the child in us all. I further hope that we remember the season of giving and find a way to share of ourselves with others.
From my heart to yours,
Merry Christmas one and all…..