The dreaded Santa question
It’s getting to be crunch time now when it comes to the existence of Santa Claus when it comes to my 10-year-old son who is starting to suspect something isn’t quite right.
‘Is Santa Claus real,’ my son up and asked me this week, reflecting a softening of his longtime staunch belief that there is no doubt a Santa Claus.
Prior to this year, you were in for one heck of a debate if you even suggested Santa wasn’t real in front of Jack. He would come back with the logical reasons for the existence of Santa.
‘How come I get what I ask Santa to bring me and those presents are separate from what you and mom get me,’ Jack would counter to the mere suggestion that Santa is not real, something which I can understand seeing that means extra presents if you’ve got your parents as well as Santa footing the bill.
Frankly, I’ve never weighed in on the Santa debate with my son since the existence of Santa benefits me in some ways too. So long as Santa is real, I can always remind Jack, and soon it will be true of my younger son Henry, that Santa knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good or get coal in your stocking. This helps on discipline in the Sherrill house around this time of year as he doesn’t want to get this close to the big payoff and blow it. Too bad that doesn’t work for spouses too, huh guys?
In addition to the benefits of behavior modification, it’s always cool when I see Santa around town and he throws his hand up and calls me by name with my son there. To him, I’ve got stroke with Santa since we’re on a first-name basis. This makes me all-powerful when it comes to putting in the word with the jolly old elf.
So, when I was asked point-blank by my son this week if Santa exists, I had to think fast seeing I’ve got something riding on this Santa thing too.
‘Well son, it all depends on who you talk to,’ I responded in my best Ward Cleaver voice. ‘Santa is kind of like Bigfoot, UFOs or the Loch Ness Monster. Some people swear they exist and some people don’t believe. Who is to say who’s right’?
Hey, I think that was a Solomon-like answer. There are a lot of folks who will fight you if you even suggest there’s no such thing as visitors from outer space. Others say they’ve seen Bigfoot. We even have pictures of Bigfoot and Nessie, so who knows?
While going to bat for the existence of Santa Claus, I took the opportunity to throw the Easter Bunny under the bus.
‘Now the Easter Bunny, there’s no such thing,’ I noted, suggesting only kids believe in such a character. ‘You realize son that rabbits don’t lay eggs and besides, a man-size Easter Bunny would just be creepy.’
Long story short, there’s still a Santa list this year ‘ one which is being worked and re-worked leading up to mailing time. Of course, seeing daddy has stroke with Saint Nick, Jack may just save the postage and let me deliver it in person.
Hey, it’s cute while it lasts so I ain’t raining on the parade. I’m sure the questions will get tougher and more probing as the years go by. Fortunately, I’ll just get more crafty and creative when hit with the questions, kind of like my buddy the Tooth Fairy who is still able to somehow get into our house and leave the kids $2. What happened to the quarter I got? Inflation?
Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at news@southernstandard.com.