Let me start off by saying, the person writing this post is a coward and also guilty of the acts I propose to condemn. After all, it’s just a little harmless game we play for the good of our children, right.

It’s incredible how we, almost violently, protect this lie. Were not talking about a little white lie that lasts a few moments, but an actual conspiracy of deception on the fresh young minds we brought into this world. Our children, through unconditional love, trust our every concept we program into their heads….or so I thought?

It’s December 22, 2008. My ex-wife called to tell me the devastating news that our son no longer believes in Santa Claus. It seems he’s been doing some secret detective work in the house. With tears in his eyes, he bravely acted on his own intuition and asked with the utmost sincerity, “Mom, is Santa Claus real?” My ex-wife must have had a hell of a lump in her throat, knowing the jig was up. This kid needed the truth.

I could sit and Google “origins of St. Nick” and regurgitate what I read, but who really cares. What good is it to replace one story for another. A strange situation for parents to be in. When it’s time to give kids the truth, what do you say? “It’s the birthday of Jesus.” We can only fervently hope this will quell the child’s investigative mind.

So there my son sits, in the first, of a broad series of reservations this culture with dish out. I could imagine he’s thinking “So, instead of a celebration of the birth of our lord and savior, we have a day where we sacrifice truth.” I guess this could be an argument for the “Keep Christ in Christmas” campaign. In reality how many of us, as parents, are willing to do what is right. How many of us know what is right? How many of us don’t give a damn? After all, our parents did it to us and we all turned out okay, right?

This is not an attack on all things Christmas and I am not advocating “ba-hum-bug”. I love the Christmas specials, the songs, the lights, just as much as the next guy. I’ll admit, that there is such a thing as Christmas spirit and it is a sort of magic. But we are older now, and the trauma of parental deception is not fresh in our minds.

So what the hell am I talking about here? Are we so pose to raise our children to be persecuted by an army of St Nick-Nazis. We would be putting the conspiracy of the all the other parents in jeopardy. Your neighbors will not stand for this! Imagine how the world would look to the child that knew there was no Santa. A constant parade of lights, music, gifts, food, ECT – all in vain. This is now my son. I fear for my son’s broken heart. As well as, the heart, of the parent in me, knowing the little guy, I love and cherish, sees me & the world around him as a monstrous liar.

Someday he’ll look back and laugh, right? Maybe so. But for right now, I want to apologize to my little guy. “I’m sorry. I thoughtlessly lied to you, about a fabled, red suited, fat man that can navigate flying reindeer, delivering toys made by elves, once a year. I hope that you can forgive me. I hope that all trust is not lost. I hope this is my last deception.”

Love Dad
Now let us celebrate the birthday of baby Jesus.