Jason and I have been on the same page, though, that we would never lie about him. We know people who refuse to play Santa because it's "deceitful" and I know people who will lie through their teeth so their children learn the truth from their own spouse. So, our middle-of-the-road game plan was to answer honestly. Is Santa real? Why, yes he is (leaving out the part that he's your daddy and my daddy and all the daddies before them). It worked for us. Kind of a grey area, but my conscience felt clean enough.
Until Julia, a few months ago, pinned me.
"Mom, is Dad Santa Claus?"
The question we couldn't deny... "Yes," I answered nervous to what her response would be, proud she figured it out and completely oblivious to the implications.
"So what about the Easter Bunny? Is he Dad? Is he fake, too?" Yep.
"The Tooth Fairy? Fake? Huh, Mom, huh?" Yep. Fake.
"And then what about JESUS?" My jaw dropped. Heart stopped. Soul cringed.
"Jesus. Mom, is He fake, too?"
Did we just spend the past 7 years setting our baby up to question the existence of sweet Baby Jesus just so we could get a cute picture of her on the lap of a strange fat man with a beard? Damn those secular books and songs and lights that I loved so much!
But it dawned on me quickly that this question was a good one - one we all need to ask at one point or another regardless of Santa, the Easter Bunny, etc. Is Jesus real?
I got to anwer her who Jesus is at a point where she not only wanted/needed to know - she was demanding to know. It was a rare opportunity, to say the least, with my busy little lady.
My Christian school upbringing paid off in 4 minutes or less in a mini-sermon filled with Truth I've been taught and Truth I have seen and lived. Her dear life being one of them. It was precious -not perfect - but precious just the same.
Yes, Julia, there is a Jesus. He came as a baby to love you more than you can ever imagine bringing a gift Santa could never give worth more than a Tooth Fairy will ever leave and sweeter than the Easter Bunny, for sure. :)
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