Engaging Santa Clause on the Topic of Christmas
Christmas is often the worst time of the year for many who have lost loved ones, especially children.
Or who have suddenly found themselves alone without family around.
Some commit suicide while in Australia Lifeline is at its busiest.
As millions enjoy themselves others are in dire straits.
Whilst billions are spent on often useless gifts the poor and the homeless struggle on.
Poverty is not helped by such celebrations even with gifts under the tree.
While my children were young the tree was bought and I worked like a slave to decorate the house, cook for the multitude (its summer here and very hot) and endlessly shopped for gifts to include everyone and leave no one out.
One day something changed when I realized tjis was something that could well be done without.
Another light bulb went on.
How can parents teach their children that some wonky old man is going to turn up in the dead of night and give them presents when the parents do and pay for it all? This is not magic its down right deceitful and its also teaching children the wrong message The bits of plastic toys that cost a fortune are done with five minutes later.
Often grandparents and relatives give replica gifts that children are longer get excited about.
The Christmas meal is better enjoyed on other occasions without the stress and things that mean something can be acquired at any time and given through the love in our hearts.
The very next year my children were weaned from this time of the year.
A trip overseas for the two eldest was highly educational.
The 7 years old had a holiday with daddy.
In the last few weeks tragedy after tragedy has seen young children, in one case 2 infants and their father drowned, either lost through accidents or dying of some miserable disease.
How do their parents feel at this time?.
Yesterday morning at the local Mall the big red throne and the trappings of the mythical Santa Clause confronted me.
On my right in the open coffee shop sat a man with a genuine long white beard and bushy white hair.
Wow, he was the spitting image of the one on whose knee kids would sit to tell their wishes.
The shops were not yet opened and passing this gentlemen I spoke to him.
"Are you the occupier of that chair?" I asked.
"Yes, that's me," he said.
"I am Santa.
" He invited me to join him.
We chattered on for about an hour as he told me his history.
Airing our views to each other, him for Christmas me against, we found we had a lot in common.
He loved the children he touched in some way and the joy on their faces at meeting him.
But he also understood my side of the equation.
It bothered him a lot too as he often thought about them as well.
But then he reminded me of the commercial side of it because he had to wear the false beard and wig even though his own was better.
"The shop that hires me insists that I dress in these things" he said.
Christmas is about commerce and that's the bottom line.
Its also about greed and what presents one will receive or how well others will think of you because of what you give them.
Is this love, I have often asked myself? What happens if you don't give presents, will they still love you or you them? My Santa friend, Ivan, spoke of the depression on faces that pass him by.
He spoke too of the greed in parents and children alike as they queue up.
We agreed that Christmas represents the weakness in humans rather than the strength.
Most require the time to motivate them and so on.
The year revolves around it as do holidays and social events.
Then comes the after math.
The bills, the debts, the loneliness as the crowds fade, the relatives take off for another year of silence and the effects take their toll on the waste line and the stress that the work has caused.
What a time it would become if the lights were off that now bedeck trees competing with each other to be the tallest and best ever.
What a time for the environment if those trees were still growing and were not cut down.
What a time if, instead of spending so much money on our own pleasure it was used to preserve the forests or clean the oceans of plastic.
But who gives a damn! Its Christmas.
Santa said he too is confused about Christmas and miffed by why people get caught up in a few weeks of excitement and spend the rest of the year getting over it.
Or who have suddenly found themselves alone without family around.
Some commit suicide while in Australia Lifeline is at its busiest.
As millions enjoy themselves others are in dire straits.
Whilst billions are spent on often useless gifts the poor and the homeless struggle on.
Poverty is not helped by such celebrations even with gifts under the tree.
While my children were young the tree was bought and I worked like a slave to decorate the house, cook for the multitude (its summer here and very hot) and endlessly shopped for gifts to include everyone and leave no one out.
One day something changed when I realized tjis was something that could well be done without.
Another light bulb went on.
How can parents teach their children that some wonky old man is going to turn up in the dead of night and give them presents when the parents do and pay for it all? This is not magic its down right deceitful and its also teaching children the wrong message The bits of plastic toys that cost a fortune are done with five minutes later.
Often grandparents and relatives give replica gifts that children are longer get excited about.
The Christmas meal is better enjoyed on other occasions without the stress and things that mean something can be acquired at any time and given through the love in our hearts.
The very next year my children were weaned from this time of the year.
A trip overseas for the two eldest was highly educational.
The 7 years old had a holiday with daddy.
In the last few weeks tragedy after tragedy has seen young children, in one case 2 infants and their father drowned, either lost through accidents or dying of some miserable disease.
How do their parents feel at this time?.
Yesterday morning at the local Mall the big red throne and the trappings of the mythical Santa Clause confronted me.
On my right in the open coffee shop sat a man with a genuine long white beard and bushy white hair.
Wow, he was the spitting image of the one on whose knee kids would sit to tell their wishes.
The shops were not yet opened and passing this gentlemen I spoke to him.
"Are you the occupier of that chair?" I asked.
"Yes, that's me," he said.
"I am Santa.
" He invited me to join him.
We chattered on for about an hour as he told me his history.
Airing our views to each other, him for Christmas me against, we found we had a lot in common.
He loved the children he touched in some way and the joy on their faces at meeting him.
But he also understood my side of the equation.
It bothered him a lot too as he often thought about them as well.
But then he reminded me of the commercial side of it because he had to wear the false beard and wig even though his own was better.
"The shop that hires me insists that I dress in these things" he said.
Christmas is about commerce and that's the bottom line.
Its also about greed and what presents one will receive or how well others will think of you because of what you give them.
Is this love, I have often asked myself? What happens if you don't give presents, will they still love you or you them? My Santa friend, Ivan, spoke of the depression on faces that pass him by.
He spoke too of the greed in parents and children alike as they queue up.
We agreed that Christmas represents the weakness in humans rather than the strength.
Most require the time to motivate them and so on.
The year revolves around it as do holidays and social events.
Then comes the after math.
The bills, the debts, the loneliness as the crowds fade, the relatives take off for another year of silence and the effects take their toll on the waste line and the stress that the work has caused.
What a time it would become if the lights were off that now bedeck trees competing with each other to be the tallest and best ever.
What a time for the environment if those trees were still growing and were not cut down.
What a time if, instead of spending so much money on our own pleasure it was used to preserve the forests or clean the oceans of plastic.
But who gives a damn! Its Christmas.
Santa said he too is confused about Christmas and miffed by why people get caught up in a few weeks of excitement and spend the rest of the year getting over it.
