There is a short time in life where the world's struggles are not directly present in one's mind and being. I believe being a child is truly a singular time to believe in something that is not concrete, not scientific, not proven. It is a time to believe in magic.
The holidays are upon us! The reds and greens. The lights, the inflatable snowmen, the reindeer and Rudolph noses. The Christmas trees, the packages, the Grinch movies. The eggnog (with or without brandy). The confections of many forms. There is Christmas music in every store, across the radio waves and Bluetooth speakers. I am already tired of Mariah Carey's song.
In seriousness, this is a meaningful time for many reasons. The weather is colder, the festive lights, decorations, and food are traditional across our nation. Good cheer, kindness, giving, and love to all mankind have long been mainstays during this time. Families-friends come together, bread is broken with one another. We take a break from the swirling world around us. Countless movies, books, stories, and real life occurrences give life to this ideology and underlying feeling.
At its foundation it does pertain to a specific event in Christianity religion to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I personally desire to give respect and homage to this foundational belief and use it to give thanks for his efforts and sacrifice on this earth. I am a non denominational Christian and my wife and I desire to highlight the underlying meaning of Christmas in this manner. We give thanks for Jesus' entrance to this world and his herculean efforts to bring light with his time on earth. (Yes I know he wasn’t born in December.)
I champion anyone to give love and thanks for this. It can be a very important lesson that breeds much more than just a holiday celebration.
I want this article to reach further than this specific statement. I want this to reach any religion, creed and or belief. No matter your belief, it is time to turn inward as a family. It is a time to focus on your children, their lives, their development, their hearts and minds. It is a time for them to focus on someone else than themselves. The act of giving that gives so much more than demanding something. It is a good time to embrace the good will and turn that into concrete mindsets and actions across the nation and in your home.
As stated in my preamble, I want fathers and mothers to bring magic to this time. The world is harsh, it is down right mean at many times throughout history. It is no different in our current time. I have stated before, it is the job of a father, and any parent, to protect and correctly shield your children from these garish negatives in our reality.
Long story short, life can kick you in your butt many times over, and the daily dragging news feed only supports this point.
When is it appropriate to believe in Santa, elves, and the magic of a jolly ole elf that brings cheer, love, and various boxes and bags to your tree every year? My personal belief is to develop a sense of fun and magic that can connect with more real emotions of happiness and love. As a father, I believe in creating this imagery to allow my children a connection to memories that are tied to deep neurological long term memories that relate to joy shared with their family. You don’t utilize Santa in your home? Not my jam but roger that. It doesn’t mean that magic or the idea of it cannot be used in the creation of happiness in your home. I respect parents' choices as long as their mind is family centered.
It can go beyond an incentivization of your child to act correctly, beyond the gross materialization and marketing that mainstream stores breed. It is more important than money spending and basic gift giving.
It can be a time that with imagination, a child can believe in something for a period of time that goes beyond our reality. This magic can be created with intelligence, crafting story telling-yes you can call it white lies. I feel it is worth it.
I bore no grudge to my mom and dad when I found out the man in the red suit wasn’t tossing gifts will-nilly across our world.
I understood why they held that belief. I recounted the efforts they went through. The work they put into the story line. The carrots and cookies half eaten every year. The packages that were gloriously displayed in the big room of my childhood home on Christmas morn. The ninja like skill of placing them, while we were sleeping under our Christmas tree. The love and effort they put into our lives year after year and the enjoyable memories it allowed me to have to this day. I am forever grateful for my Mom and Dad and their hard work at Christmas and any other time to make and allow me to be the man I am today. Thank you Mom and Dad.
Despite my walk down memory lane, it truly doesn’t have to be about Santa. It can be a parent, parents coming together to form a coalition of “magic” to their family. A child’s imagination is already a thing of great power. I believe this is an important supporting effort of their already wonderful ability to see more than the black and white of an adult world. Let us not stifle it, let us support that fantastical child brain as long as the world and your home can allow it.
I say, by taking a more active role in your family’s holiday actions you are creating memorable moments that your family’s foundation grows from. It can be as simple as creating a night book reading tradition. Christmas music requests. Light watching in your community with a sweet treat for the whole family. It can be the elf on the shelf, gad bless all parents who bought into this situation! My wife is a champion Elf activity creator and cozy Christmas decorator.
Family ugly sweater contest. Game night on every Thursday night in December. Movie night on every Friday in Dec. Cookie making sessions. Gingerbread house making. Carol singing!
Go to your town’s parade. Make a special trip to see Santa. Take a family trip with the sole purpose of spending time with one another and using the Christmas mindset to create a new tradition.
I say make the holidays less complicated. More family oriented. Spend time with one another, have fun as a family. Reduce the noise, the technology, the gifts, the materialism and create enjoyment in one of the most wonderful things in this world; family.
Fathers( and mamas) can be the leaders of this effort. I challenge us all, wake up tomorrow and create a little magic for your family. Bring joy to your home in the spirit of Christmas. I can attest it brings joy to the parent just as much as it does to the child. Even if we know the jolly ole fat man of the north pole doesn’t do all that his tales say he does.
It would be fun if he did though, huh?
Merry Christmas to all.